“Dear Tamaqua” is an example of WE-Making. The project title, "Dear Tamaqua", was a prompt as if writing a letter to the town. It was a way to get feedback and input from community members in a variety of ways, through letters, songs, and drawings. The organizers intentionally did not censor these results for positive content. Instead, they encouraged community members to submit what they really felt about their town: “positive feelings, negative feelings, nostalgic feelings, memories, bad memories, hopes and aspirations for the future,” says Gursky. The Tamaqua Community Arts Center tried to reach people in a variety of ways. They targeted schools and senior-living centers. They hosted writing events in libraries and on playgrounds. They opened a website for online submissions. They even delivered blank coasters with the “Dear Tamaqua” prompt to local bars. Patrons could write or draw on the coaster and then hand it over to the bartender. In total, the “Dear Tamaqua” project received 700 submissions out of approximately 7,000 total community members. Listen to Micah Gursky, Executive Director of the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, discuss the success of the arts & cultural project to improve social cohesion in a July 2021 podcast.

This project led to a larger movement in the Tamaqua community: Art in Public Spaces. Art in Public Spaces is part of a community-wide revitalization and rebuilding effort. The initiative uses art forms to bring together residents, volunteer organizations and businesses. This creation of a unified vision in the heart of the community is achieved with festivals, large sculptures or immersive experiences.