Update from Art with a Heart |
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A Full Heart!
March 2022 – there is so much to be proud of -- 22 years! From the trunk of my car and shed in my backyard to well, SO MUCH MORE...17 incredible staff, 70 dedicated contracted teachers, and a Board of 21 charitable and kind individuals. Art with a Heart has grown from four classes a week to as many as 14,000 a year. It has installed over 300 public art pieces throughout the Baltimore community and engages over 100 students annually in its innovative workforce development program. The Art of Leadership program is thriving with an alumni network of 111 students and 32 applicants vying for its eighth cohort. That is a lot to be proud of and if you had asked me in March of 2000 if this is where I thought I would be 22 years later, I can confidently say, “no way!”
And while so much has changed (thinking about that made my head spin), the important things have stayed exactly the same. Art with a Heart will always be grounded in its humble beginnings; it will always have deep gratitude for the people and organizations who lend their time and/or support the work; it will always cherish the many partnerships that place value on our work and mission, and it will always, ALWAYS place a priority on creating equitable access to visual art education. We have undoubtedly come a long way and still have a long way to go. Too many children in our community do not have visual art programs, too many of our aging neighbors are sitting alone and idle and too many youths are lacking creative engagement opportunities. I know that no matter the obstacle or challenge, the Art with a Heart staff, volunteers, interns, and Board (aka superheroes) are here to do the work and with visual art as the vehicle, make Baltimore a more creative, inspired, beautiful and civic-minded city.
I have no idea where Art with a Heart will be in 22 more years but I hope I will be getting the monthly newsletters with a heart that is full and lots of paint on my hands.
With love and gratitude,
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Randi Pupkin
Founder and Executive Director
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Your Support Matters!
There are many ways to support Art with a Heart. Please consider a tax-deductible gift through one of the following giving methods:
Art with a Heart relies on the generous support of donors to meet our mission and we are grateful for each and every gift.
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Students in the Art with a Heart classes in the Child First Authority program at Hilton Elementary School learned about artist Piet Mondrian and his iconic abstract designs. Using rulers, the students outlined their geometric designs. The students then used scissors to cut out the concentric shapes for their gridded images!
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Throughout this year, Art with a Heart's teachers have guided students through creating community artwork to be displayed throughout the school at William Paca Elementary. For one community display, students learned about and studied the work of Jean Michel Basquiat. They created their Basquiat-inspired self-portraits by first creating a watercolor wash, adding gestural oil pastel drawings on top of that, and finally collaging a drawn portrait on top of their base paintings! You can see the quintessential Basquiat crowns in most of the students' work. Students in the 4th and 5th grades also worked to create a CD weaving! Weaving takes a lot of patience, and we are so proud of their perseverance to create this masterpiece.
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Leaping into Spring at Tench Tilghman |
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The students at Tench Tilghman Elementary/ Middle School explored a variety of mediums during the month of March! They wrapped up Black History Month by learning about Valerie Thomas, a native Baltimorean, Morgan State University alumni, and the Aunt of their very own Art with a Heart teacher! Thomas invented the Illusion Transmitter for NASA and students celebrated her by creating their own rockets while reinforcing their knowledge of the severe seven shapes. To welcome spring, students celebrated by creating patterned windsock kites to fly on windy days!
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Students in Art with a Heart's after-school art club at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School have been working together to beautify the halls of their school. The first of three large-scale projects was joyfully completed this month. Students designed and painted up-cycled wire spool wheels that were installed over a geometric swirl the club completed earlier this month.
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Middle Schoolers Artfully Celebrate their Identities |
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Community Service and Public Art |
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The month of March has been filled with weekly mosaic workshops for the University of Maryland Medical Center's new Midtown Campus Tower. Employees and community members have been enjoying the therapeutic benefits of community art during these weekly workshops where work on this 255 sq. ft mosaic is taking place. The mural is scheduled to be completed this summer and will serve as a warm welcome for staff, visitors and patients.
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Leaders Explore the Value of Storytelling |
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Art of Leadership students gathered for a joyful session focused on storytelling. The group discussed how effective storytelling can build community, encourage empathy, and inspire action. The team was joined by other members of the Art with a Heart family - volunteers, staff, and Board members - who shared their personal stories, and together we discovered mutual experiences across generations. Students also practiced their public speaking skills with extemporaneous speeches and finished the evening by creating clay hearts in blue and yellow to show their support for Ukraine. The hearts are now sold in Heartwares with all the proceeds going to The Voices of Children, a charitable foundation helping children and families across Ukraine.
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Claremont School Students Learning on the Job |
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Claremont High School students have been learning what it is to work in a social enterprise! Students have been creating products for Heartwares in preparation for the spring retail season while learning important job readiness concepts like emotion regulation, communication skills, and mindset. Stay tuned for pictures of their beautiful creations.
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Monarch Sisters Schools Know How to Party |
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Friends, teachers, and supporters of the Monarch Sisters Schools Program had a fun afternoon at HeARTwares creating beautiful mosaic monarch butterfly trivets and garden stones. It was a great way to support both programs and enjoy a creative time together! Interested in hosting your own art party with friends or family? Contact Christina Ralls at christina@artwithaheart.net or 410-366-8886.
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Healing City Baltimore Summit Showcase |
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Healing City Baltimore collaborated with Art with a Heart to work with city-wide youth on creating self-portraits exploring their identity and relationship with their inner strength and power. The portraits were displayed at the Healing City Summit where community members were invited to contribute to the Summit's showcase by creating their own "River of Life"... exploring their own life journey.
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Are you a young adult passionate about equitable access to arts education or know someone who is? Are you looking for a way to make a positive impact in the Baltimore community while having fun? Join the Art with a Heart Junior Board today! Through service, fundraising and advocacy, The Impressionists enjoy fun and interactive ways to give back while growing their professional community.
The Impressionists are also looking for new members to their Leadership Board to help with the planning and implementation of monthly events for the group. Visit the Impressionists page on our website to learn about upcoming events and volunteer opportunities or email Julia Rodricks, Coordinator of External Affairs at julia@artwithaheart.net.
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3000 Falls Road | Mill No. 1 | Baltimore, MD 21211
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