August 2026

Congratulations to Megan Gatto, Art with a Heart's Executive Director, for being named one of The Daily Record's Leading Women Under 40. The award honors women who are younger than 40 years of age for the accomplishments they have made so far in their careers. Winners were selected for the honor based on their professional experience, community involvement, and commitment to inspiring change. Well-deserved, Megan!!

Community Art and Service

In August, the Art with a Heart team engaged with hundreds of Randallstown community members at Liberty Live, the free family-friendly concert series by the Greater Randallstown Community Development Organization. Guests joined in helping create the vibrant Mother Earth mosaic sculpture, adding to the joy and creativity of the event.

Looking ahead to September, the Art with a Heart Community Art and Service team is excited to install two new unique art pieces at Grace Medical Center and The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute. Meanwhile, the Ronald McDonald House Delaware is wrapping up the final phase of its 5' x 3' mosaic - thanks to the many dedicated community volunteers.

With fall projects in full swing, stay tuned as we bring more creativity and connection to neighborhoods near you!

August brought summer to a colorful close - and kicked off the new school year with energy to spare! At the Village Learning Place, budding young artists proudly displayed a summer's worth of creativity at a special art showcase celebrating their masterpieces. Student artists at St. Francis Neighborhood Center let their imaginations run wild, creating colorful elephant masks bursting with personality.

Artists in Art with a Heart's aging adult programs were imaginative and joyful this month. Participants at The Greens at English Consul Apartments brought the beach to life with lively seaside scenes, complete with real seashells for a touch of the shore. At Edenwald, students turned to nature for inspiration, crafting stunning mandalas inspired by the environmental sculptures of renowned artist, Andy Goldsworthy.

Cohort 12 of Art with a Heart's Art of Leadership program is officially underway! This month, students kicked off their first session with a series of interactive activities designed to break the ice, dig into their personal values, and build their storytelling skills. As a creative way to reflect on their values and experiences, students also created collages - turning personal reflection into art.

The session got an extra dose of inspiration from special guest Baltimore City Councilwoman Odette Ramos, who spoke candidly about her own leadership journey, walked students through Baltimore-specific issues and policies, and emphasized the power of showing up for your community.

Glitter, beads, and slime, oh my!

This month, HeARTwares hosted a drop-in Slime Bar, inviting community members of all ages to pop in and whip up their own custom, gooey creations. Slime lovers of all ages had a blast getting a little messy with us! Stay tuned for more HeARTwares Studio Session events this fall.

HeARTworks capped off a fun and productive summer with Shop & Bop, the culminating event for Art with a Heart's YouthWorks and HeARTworks participants. After weeks of hard work, students unveiled an inspiring collection of handmade products - everything from mosaic maps to hand-painted bookends and vibrant yarn paintings. Over 280 guests came to support the young artists. It was the perfect way to close out a truly phenomenal summer program. Congratulations to all our talented youth artists!

Art with a Heart is grateful to those who shared their time and talent with the organization during August, including: Drink at the Well, Johns Hopkins Radiology, Johns Hopkins Fundraising & Development, SOURCE, McCormick, Reading Partners, and T. Rowe Price.