Art Outreach Programs
- Art outreach makes art accessible to all.arts image by NL shop from Fotolia.com
Organizations conduct art outreach programs because of the well-researched idea that art is important to the development and well-being of all people. According to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), access to the arts provides life-changing experiences, engenders inspiration and preserves America's cultural heritage. The NEA conducts national surveys to track art participation levels, using that research to design and implement art outreach programs and, in fact, funds many of the art outreach program in communities across America. Art outreach programs bring art to underserved populations, allowing people to create or experience art in its many forms. - The BMA's art outreach programs are designed to foster a love of art in students and create lifelong learners. The museum's Close Encounters program works with fourth graders in Baltimore's public school system to improve their visual literacy. Through a series of experiences that include visits to the museum and BMA educator visits to schools, the program provides students with direct contact with art. Administrators may call the museum for instructions on how to join the program.
The Baltimore Museum of Art
10 Art Museum Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218
443-573-1824
410-396-4930 TDD
artbma.org - COCA is a multidisciplinary and multicultural arts center in St. Louis whose facility includes a theater. The center offers camps, workshops and classes for participants from six months old to adults. The center provides art outreach activities for low-income youth through the Urban Arts Program, including residencies, art instruction, in-school and after-school activities, art technology and dance programs. COCA has a scholarship fund to assist with payment of fees and tuition.
COCA (Center of Creative Arts)
524 Trinity Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63130
314-725-6555
cocastl.org - The Hyde Park Art Center provides art outreach programs in Chicago's schools, community centers and housing projects. The center combines art programs with opportunities for youth to learn life skills, job skills and visual-art techniques. The center partners with schools and community organizations to design programs that meet the needs of specific youth groups. Programs include hands-on visual-art activities and field trips to galleries and other art venues.
Hyde Park Art Center
5020 S. Cornell Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615
773-324-5520
hydeparkart.org - The Poetry Foundation partners with the NEA and state arts agencies to provide Poetry Out Loud, a program for high-school students. Students study and recite poetry, including slam and spoken word poetry, and improve their public-speaking skills. The activities help students to develop self-confidence while learning about the literary heritage of America's many cultures. State art agencies select schools to participate in the program. Students must be in ninth to 12th grades to participate. Homeschooled students and students unable to participate through a school are encouraged to contact the state program coordinator. The website provides a list of state contacts.
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506
202-682-5400
poetryoutloud.org - The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts provides more than 200 art outreach activities, annually for children in the metro Phoenix area. Interactive activities are offered at schools and community organizations, often with artist involvement, and focus on communication, cultural exchange and tolerance. The center seeks to encourage positive self-image and educational enrichment. Cultural Connections Through the Arts, a program for high-school students, brings together students of different ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. ArtReach Exhibition Spaces displays the work of student participants.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
7380 E. 2nd Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480-994-ARTS (2787)
480-874-4694 TDD
scottsdaleperformingarts.org
