A Note from Art with a Heart
|
Dear Friends:
As I reflect on the last year, I am humbled, grateful and proud. I remain honored that you choose to be a part of Art with a Heart. We could not do this work with you and the devoted staff, Board, Advisory Board, teachers, assistants, interns and volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to the organization.
In the last year, Art with a Heart increased its programming partners, continued to fill the void of visual art access, and its workforce development program, HeARTworks, continued to be a successful, creative solution to helping youth find employment and stability in their lives. Public art initiatives continued to fill spaces with beautiful installations created by community members and the Art of Leadership program is engaging its fifth cohort and serves an alumni network of over 70 students. More details of Art with a Heart's impact over the last year can be found throughout this newsletter.
As we look ahead, we are excited to share Art with a Heart's 20th Anniversary with all of you. Hard to believe it will be 20 years!
As you may know, I started Art with a Heart from the trunk of my car, facilitating four classes a week. We now have over 65 community partners, facilitated over 12,000 visual classes this year, provided over 300,000 individual art experiences, and have installed 39 additional public art projects (for a total of almost 300 public art pieces in the Baltimore community).
There will be many ways for you to contribute to our 20th Anniversary celebrations.
On March 1, 2020, we will have a birthday party and on October 29th, 2020 we will have a big anniversary celebration, so please mark you calendars for both. In addition to the celebrations, in March, we will be launching, Mosaic of Voices, an accumulation of stories and memories of those who have been a part of Art with a Heart. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements about all the 20th Anniversary initiatives and celebrations.
On behalf of the entire team, thank you for helping to make 2019 a tremendously successful year for
Art with a Heart.
A Happy and Healthy New Year to you all!
Randi
|
A Look Back at Programming
|
In 2019, Art with a Heart's programming team went into overdrive with
65 programming partners
, the largest number of collaborations to date. The numbers tell the real story.
In the last year, Art with a Heart:
- facilitated 12,070 visual art classes.
- provided 301,705 individual art experiences to children, youth and adults in the Baltimore community.
- placed 84 teachers and assistants in classrooms across 23 different zip codes.
- engaged 41 college interns who dedicated over 5000 hours of service.
And if that is not enough, how about this...in 2019, Art with a Heart used:
- 1,200 pounds of clay...the weight a grizzly bear!
- 52 gallons of Tempra paint...433 pounds of paint!
- 9,675 sheets of watercolor paper...50 miles of paper (would stretch to Alexandra, Virginia!)
Art with a Heart continues to grow and reach greater numbers of students through its small and mighty team of programming superheroes who create engaging and innovative curriculum, who vet teachers and assistants to make sure the talent is present along with the necessary compassion and empathy, and who manage all aspects of program delivery to ensure it is both an educational and quality experience for all who participate. Art with a Heart programs stimulate the imagination; increase academic growth; and grow social and emotional learning competencies like self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making.
|
A Look Back at Community Service
|
Art with a Heart is grateful for the thousands of volunteers who have dedicated their time and talent to the organization over the last year. In 2019, Art with a Heart
engaged 129 different service groups and
3,516 individual volunteers in 12,902
hours of service. This is equivalent to 1,000 hours a month of volunteer support.
These volunteers provide invaluable assistance in the preparation of Art with a Heart classes, completion of public art projects, and help with the workforce development program. Art with a Heart's ability to grow its programs and expand its reach, are directly attributed to the support of these volunteers. As one volunteer noted, "Art is a great way to tell someone, even a stranger, that you care."
|
A Look Back at Public Art
|
In the last year, Art with a Heart, with the help and support of thousands of community volunteers, completed
39 public art installations including 22 mosaic murals, six painted murals, and 11 mixed media murals.
Cumulatively, these creations account for the following:
- 1,400 square feet of public art (equivalent of five city blocks of art)
- 153,000 pieces of hand cut glass
- 150 pounds of clay
Art in public spaces reflects and reveals our society, enhances meaning in our civic spaces, and adds uniqueness to our communities. "Public art humanizes the built environment. It provides an intersection between past, present, and future; between disciplines and ideas." Public art matters because our communities gain cultural, social, and economic value through public art. Five Reasons Why Public Art Matters, Americans for the Arts,
Aug 30, 2018
|
A Look Back at HeARTworks
|
HeARTworks, Art with a Heart's workforce development program, continues to be a great asset to its participants and to Baltimore community with
107 students completing the program and a 75% job placement rate for out-of-school time youth.
Art with a Heart continues to refine its digital arts curriculum for workforce development students.
Over the last year, students were introduced to skills in graphic design, game development, digital fabrication (3D printing), electronics, and web development. Upon completing the program, one student said, "I feel like I found a part of myself that I lost and Art with a Heart helped me find it."
|
A Look Back at HeARTwares
|
New
this year was an effort to have participating youth display and sell their wares at various events. Students tabled at 25 events and conferences and participated in two open houses hosted at Art with a Heart. A total of 1,050 student made art pieces were sold with 180 items special ordered. The sense of pride and accomplishment that students feel when someone buys their work is invaluable and helps to motivate them to do more and be more.
Thank you to those who continue to shop at HeARTwares for art, housewares and meaningful handmade gifts.
|
A Look Back at the Art of Leadership
|
Over the course of 2019, the Art of Leadership's 4th and 5th Cohorts met for a total of 19 sessions, retreats, service, and events, spending over 121 hours together! Art of Leadership's 4th Cohort graduated in September 2019 and the 18 students joined the Leadership Alumni Network of over 70 graduates. Alumni of the 1st and 2nd Cohorts attend 19 colleges across the country including University of Maryland, Syracuse University, Wesleyan University, Columbia University, University of Virginia, University of Delaware, and Washington University in St. Louis.
The Art of Leadership's 5th Cohort started in August 2019 with 21 students, representing 16 public and independent schools in Baltimore City and four surrounding counties (Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's).
In 2019, two new capstone public art projects were installed to join those previously completed by students for McVet and Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School. The third public art project at the Rose Street Community Center was completed with the installation of 50 mosaic mandalas and 50 mirror accents on the painted mural in memory of those who fell victim to gun violence in their community. In August, the Art of Leadership's fourth public art project at the Franciscan Center was painted in three days with the help of 33 leaders, AWAH staff, friends, and family.
Art with a Heart is currently recruiting young leaders in the 9th or 10th grade for its 6th Cohort for 2020-2021. The application can be found here, and is due on Friday, March 20, 2020.
 
 
|
Thank You!
Thank you for helping to make 2019 a tremendously successful year for Art with a Heart. We appreciate your ongoing support to provide continued momentum to our mission: to enhance the lives of people in need through visual art.
|
|
|
|
|
