Greetings!

As Founder and Executive Director, I want to invite you to learn more about our nonprofit organization: The Foundation for New American Art.

The Foundation for New American Art is a 501(c)(3) entity.  We help educate, as well as nurture and strengthen, the artistic and musical spirit of the children of low-income communities.

The Foundation for New American Art was formed in response to a dire situation. Art and music education are disappearing from our schools.  

The State of the Arts Report (2014) from the office of the New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer states:
  • 419 schools in New York City lack even one full-time, certified arts teacher. 
  • A majority of schools without certified arts teachers – 182 – are elementary schools. In addition, 34 middle schools and 53 high schools have neither part-time nor full-time certified arts teachers.
  • While schools in neighborhoods across the five boroughs lack certified art teachers, schools in the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn are disproportionately affected.

It is clear that reductions in arts education have fallen disproportionately on the City’s lower income neighborhoods.

The Foundation for New American Art is a not-for-profit corporation that fosters art and music education programs geared to underserved communities. We also support after-school programs.

Facts reinforce the critical importance of integrating Arts into the daily curriculum of young children:

  • According to the Rockefeller Foundation, children that experience art and music education in early years are more likely to attend and graduate from college.
  • Students who attend music and or art classes of any kind scored an average of 57 points higher on the verbal portion of the SAT test, and 43 points higher on the math portion than students with no coursework or experience in the arts.
  • Here at the Foundation for New American Art we believe that art can change the way children look at the world.
Our Foundation is determined to make art and music a part of every child’s life.

"It is imperative that we continue to support the arts and arts education both on the national and local levels. The strength of every democracy is measured by its commitment to the arts.” – Charles Segars, CEO of Ovation 

The arts build strong peer relationships and a powerful sense of community responsibility.
  • The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) found that youth of low socioeconomic  status with a history of high arts engagement had better grades and higher college enrollment and attainment rates than youth without such involvement.
  • In addition, the NEA found that high school students who had in-depth arts engagement had higher GPAs than students with low levels of arts engagement;
  • And were three times more likely than their arts-poor peers to earn a bachelor’s  degree.
Executive Director of FNAA snapped this photo of Kmani telling what he learned at Arts-in-Education today
The Arts accelerate learning and brain function. Our teachers are trained to nurture, educate and support the artists of tomorrow. Studies show that art and music education improve cognitive function, memory and social skills and reinforce a sense of positive personal identity. 

Art and Music are integral to the health of the mind and body. Through Art the unseen becomes visible. By experiencing Art and Music we learn the beauty of human emotion, the nobility of sorrow, the joy of obstacles overcome. 

Foundation for New American Art is improving the lives of children through our support of Arts-in-Education. We are fundraising for our Camp Superstar 2018, a three-week program of intensive art, theater, dance, music and early business education for artists in the Adirondacks in New York State. Our New York Festival for Gifted Children will give you a chance to see what happens when great Art teachers nurture great young talents. 

But we can’t do it without your support. Through your partnership with the Foundation for New American Art, you are truly making a life-changing donation. You are providing a solid foundation for children to experience and grow through the Arts. 

We can provide programs that have been virtually cut from school curricula.

Donations are the lifeblood of our mission. We know our work will lead to real steps forward to help children develop self-expression and escape a life seared by gang violence, drugs and crime.
  • The Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse found: “Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances.”
  • The Rockefeller Foundation reports: music makers are 52% more likely to go on to college than those who are not involved in music...52% more likely!
We serve communities of color, immigrant communities, diverse communities, artistic and talented LGBT children, Native American children, children with disabilities, abandoned and forgotten children. We are advocates for programs that empower young girls.


Melphy jumps for joy
A young immigrant from Puerto Rico shows how much she loves our music program.

As a Foundation for New American Art supporter, you can help vulnerable children in our at-risk communities gain the skills, tools and training they need to build self-worth and self-confidence. These characteristics will help develop a solid base of values and ethics that will last a lifetime.

By building stronger communities, your gifts are not only an act of compassion but a smart investment in the future of our society.

Please consider a monthly donation to our programs. Your regular support will enable us to plan very effectively for the future. Your friendship and backing is key in solving the problems of our at-risk children.

I am deeply grateful for your consideration. All of us at the Foundation for New American Art want to build a meaningful relationship with you. Your kindness will mean so much to the children and the communities we serve.   

We have seen repeatedly that children with behavioral problems find new discipline and self-respect when they are nurtured in the shared creativity of collective art making.  Arts work magic on the young. 
  • According to a recent Department of Education report, only 12 percent of eighth graders get theater instruction, 12 percent dance, 29 percent music and 41 percent visual art.
Please accept my invitation to visit our site at www.foundationfornewamericanart.org to learn more about our programs and work. And, follow our mission on twitter @UMuseum.

Would you consider making a gift today to our Foundation? Your donation is 100% tax deductible. Any donation you can offer is greatly appreciated and will be used to further our work introducing art and music to children in low-income communities.

Please make your check payable to: Foundation for New American Art, Inc. and send to us at 224 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003.

Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me or email me. I am thanking you in advance for your time and for your generosity.

Sincerely,
 

Phoebe Legere
Executive Director
Foundation for New American Art
phone: 917.750.7741

                                    Foundation for New American Art Inc.                                      New York City, NY 10003