Art with a Heart's 15 Years in Numbers
It's hard to believe that what began as four small classes a week 15 years ago has grown to over 10,000 classes annually. Those classes, along with the Art with a Heart's job program, leadership initiative, HeARTwares, community service and public art efforts, have elevated our Baltimore neighbors and have positively impacted their communities. Thank you for your help and support in achieving this milestone. We are proud, humble and eager to continue the work.
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2015: The Year in Review
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Programming
In 2015, Art with a Heart provided over 160,000 visual art experiences to Baltimore's children and adults. Our 63 community partners included the addition of 10 Baltimore City recreation centers, two shelters, six schools, a residential treatment center and a senior facility.
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In 2015, Art with a Heart engaged nearly 5,000 volunteers. This extraordinary support includes 70 interns and service-learning students, 140 students (HeART Helpers) from 33 middle and high schools, and volunteers from 85 different service groups. Additionally, in the last year, Art with a Heart began new service partnerships with
Itineris Baltimore,
Eastern Technical High School,
Garrison Forest School,
The Key School of Annapolis, and
Bryn Mawr School as well as continued partnerships with
Bridge EdU,
Thread (formally Incentive Mentoring Program),
Academy for College and Career Exploration,
T
he Choice Program,
City Neighbors High School,
Jemicy School,
The Park School of Baltimore,
Towson High School and
St. Elizabeth School.
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Public Art
Over the last year, Art with a Heart completed 13 mosaic murals and 10 public art installations. We are grateful for the thousands of volunteers who make these creative, colorful and collaborative projects come to life!
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Job Program
In the last year, the Summer Job Program was expanded to include Spring and Fall sessions. Along with this expansion, Art with a Heart implemented a new apprenticeship program designed to provide additional
job opportunities to select job program participants. The first apprentices who worked with Art with a Heart went on to become Americorps VISTA members in Baltimore.
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HeARTwares
In December, HeARTwares celebrated its fifth anniversary. In addition to its growing social enterprise, the space has continued to allow for burgeoning volunteer, service-learning, community-service, and public art initiatives. This year, over 1,100 items were sold in the store with help and support of a great sales force of job programs students. Events in HeARTwares included Shop & Bop, Creative Day Out workshops, HeARTwares' Holiday Open House, and numerous private parties.
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Art of Leadership
After months of planning, in January 2015, Art with a Heart launched the inaugural cohort of the Art of Leadership. The Art of Leadership program brings together youth of diverse backgrounds to develop leadership skills and engage in dialogue across cultural barriers. Through guest speakers and experiential opportunities, students are exposed to community challenges and develop fresh perspectives on how to address them.
The capstone leadership experience is the creation of a community art project created by the teen leaders to beautify and enhance a Baltimore community.
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15th Anniversary Event
On November 12, 2015, Art with a Heart celebrated its 15th anniversary at the Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric. The evening included a VIP reception, silent auction, and a benefit concert by legendary jazz guitarist,
George Benson. Over 600 people crowded the Lyric's lobby for the VIP reception where Art with a Heart's founding Board President, Sarah Shapiro was honored. After the concert,
Mr. Benson graciously met with Art with a Heart staff, Board members, and Art of Leadership students.
In further recognition of the organizations's 'benchmark' year, Art with a Heart is donating 15 artist-crafted benches to 15 different Balitmore City parks. Art with a Heart is grateful to its teachers and volunteers who generously contributed their time and talent to this project.
Installation of the benches began on December 22nd with two benches in Harbor Place and one bench at the Rita R. Church Community Center at Clifton Park.
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Thank You!
Thank you for helping to make 2015 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.
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