August 2024

Happenings!

Art with a Heart featured on WJZ!

HeARTwares Store Manager, Kristina Harlee and Deputy Director, Megan Gatto were featured on WJZ TV Baltimore to promote our annual Shop & Bop event. Read more about the success of Shop & Bop in the HeARTwares section below!

Road to 25 Spotlight: Olia Hardy, Principal at William Paca Elementary School

As students return to school, who better to spotlight this month than an Art with a Heart programming partner, Principal Olia Hardy from William Paca Elementary School. Principal Hardy has been the leader at William Paca for almost 8 years! There are 449 students in grades Pre-K through 5th and their motto is "Learn, Lead & Succeed!" Principal Hardy credits Art with a Heart's art curriculum with opening the students' eyes to possibilities, no matter who they are or where they are from. In addition to Art with a Heart's work in the classroom, the organization has completed several large-scale murals at the school, including a 1,720 square foot exterior mural completed this summer. The mural was a monumental effort for Special Projects Coordinator, Matt Mitchell and dedicated volunteers, students, interns, and staff.

September Collectible: AWAH Hoodie!

Just in time for cooler weather, this Limited Edition AWAH Hoodie features a stylish Art with a Heart logo, beautifully crafted by students from the Baltimore Transition Connection program. Limited to only 25, get yours today! They are perfect for lounging, a casual day out, or even a flashy night on the town.

Don't wait - add this one-of-a-kind piece to your Art with a Heart 25th Anniversary Collection.

Buy your AWAH Hoodie here!

Buy Mosaic Suncatcher here! Buy Tiny Trash Can here!

As summer comes to an end, Art with a Heart celebrated its students' creativity, dedication, and artistic accomplishments. Students of all ages enjoyed a summer of experimenting with diverse art mediums and learning about artists and cultures different from their own.

As the organization heads into fall, the programming team is excited to welcome back our wonderful students and are looking forward to meeting new friends with our growing partnerships.

Special Projects

Volunteers, interns, and staff joined forces with Matt Mitchell, Art with a Heart's Coordinator of Special Projects to complete a three-wall, 1,720 square foot exterior mural at William Paca Elementary School earlier this month. The piece is vibrant and energetic and features graphic botanical elements from diverse ecosystems along with silhouettes of children and teachers - depicting the joyful journey of learning. Students and teachers were greeted by the mural earlier this week when they returning for the new school year.

HeARTwares and HeARTworks held their annual Shop and Bop event on August 16th. In 2.5 hours HeARTworks students sold over $2,500 worth of their beautiful works including: ceramic mugs and mushrooms, faux taxidermy pieces, embroidered portraits, and mosaic frying pans!! The students delighted in being official working artists upon receiving commissions for the sale of their art.

A special thank you Union Craft Brewing, Golden West Cafe, Free Run Wine, The Funnel Cake King, Ice Queens and DJ Jack Denning for the delicious and abundant food, drink and music enjoyed by all!

Community Art and Service

Community Art and Service had an exciting month hosting service groups, preparing designs for upcoming projects (stay tuned!), presenting at Grace Memorial Baptist Church's Community Day, and bringing two beautiful community artworks to fruition for both the Jewish Educational Network and the Milton-Montford Neighborhood Association.

Art of Leadership

On Sunday, August 25th, the inaugural session of the Art of Leadership's 10th Cohort ignited curiosity, conversation, and excitement as the young leaders gathered for the first of their 10-month journey together. The cohort embarked on this adventure with great story telling and inspiration from guest speaker Baltimore City Councilman, Zeke Cohen. Zeke highlighted the impactful work his team has done to improve Baltimore, including the passage of the Elijah Cummings Healing City Act. The students also explored the concept of leadership through a journaling exercise, formed connections with one another through meaningful conversations, and engaged in expressive art-making using collage techniques.

Impressionists!

The Impressionists, Art with a Heart's young professionals group, meet up on the fourth Thursday each month to help with projects that support the organization's programming needs. These casual drop-in sessions are a great way to volunteer with us and meet new people. Come and bring a friend! The next Impressionists meetups are the evenings of September 26 and October 24 from 5:00pm – 7:30pm at the AWAH offices. For more information, please reach out to amylangrehr@artwithaheart.net

Thank You Volunteers!

Art with a Heart is grateful for those who shared their time and talent with Art with a Heart during the month of August: Howard Community College, Mission Agency, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health students, Johns Hopkins Medical Staff, and BGE . Thank you all!