August 2025

Thank You For Making Shop and Bop a Hit!!!

Thank you to everyone who joined Art with a Heart at HeARTwares for our annual Shop & Bop event! The event proudly showcased the talents of our students from the 2025 summer HeARTworks program. Guests discovered unique handmade art, jewelry, housewares, garden ornaments, and gifts—each crafted with love and care. These young artists not only shared their creativity but also gained invaluable job skills, confidence, and experience. A big thank you to our generous in-kind contributors who helped fuel the students during the program and at Shop and Bop: Michele's Granola, THB Bagels, Rouge Catering, Amici's, Pepe's, ZaVino Italian Marketplace, Gundalow Gourmet, Misty Valley Farms, The Funnel Cake King, and The Charmery.

Art with a Heart is wrapping up a fantastic summer of creativity, while preparing for an inspiring new school year. Art with a Heart is thrilled to return to 15 Baltimore City Public Schools along with an additional 45 out of school time program partners - continuing our commitment to ignite imagination and bring the power of art to students citywide.

Our team has been actively leading back-to-school professional development sessions with the Art with a Heart teachers, as well as with Baltimore City Public School educators at Moravia Park Elementary School and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School. Together, we’ve shared hands-on, inspiring projects and community-building activities designed to spark curiosity and connection from the very first day of class.

As teachers prepare to welcome their students, we’re also putting the finishing touches on our summer classes. From vibrant clay portraits to recycled flowers and mixed media projects, this season has been filled with joyful creativity, discovery, and heartfelt moments.

We extend our deepest gratitude to our partners, community members, and students who made this summer unforgettable. With your continued support, we’re excited to carry this momentum forward into the new school year and beyond!

Community Art and Service

YouthWorks students capped off Workforce Wednesday with a dynamic “Landing the Job!” workshop led by Candace Allmond, Senior Director of Workforce Development. They crafted standout résumés, practiced interviews, and received professional headshots—equipping them with confidence for their career journeys.

HeARTworks wrapped up a vibrant summer with an inspiring field trip to The Walters Art Museum, celebrating the students’ creativity and hard work.

On August 15th, HeARTwares came alive with the energy of the annual Shop & Bop event! YouthWorks students proudly showcased and sold their artwork, sharing the inspiration behind their pieces with community members. A heartfelt thank you goes out to The Funnel Cake King for treating guests to free funnel cakes, DJ Esmail Hamidi (“DJ Ish”) for providing great music, and Mary England for spreading joy through her interactive kindness chain craft. It was a beautiful celebration of art, community, and collaboration!

Art of Leadership Cohort 11 launched on Sunday, August 24! The session featured interactive activities that gave students the opportunity to get to know one another, practice storytelling, create collages, and enjoy a presentation by Baltimore City Councilwoman Odette Ramos. During her presentation, Councilwoman Ramos discussed her personal motivation and background, daily life and leadership, Baltimore-specific issues and policies, and community engagement. The cohort looks forward to their fall overnight retreat at NorthBay later this month.

Special Projects

This month, the Special Projects team installed the beautifully collaborative, "YES" community painting at the YES Drop-In Center. The team also had a great time facilitating a back-to-school workshop for teachers and staff at Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School, where each participant created a mixed-media abstract painting inspired by the sounds of jazz music. Additionally, community volunteers have been putting the finishing touches on stepping stones for the Hopewell Cancer Support Center. The inspiring stones will be revealed at an ice cream social event on September 20th.

Thank you Volunteers!

Thank you to the community members and service groups who shared their time and talents with Art with a Heart during the month of August - Studio Institute, BGE, Johns Hopkins University SOURCE, Living Learning Classroom, Johns Hopkins University Finance, Jewish Community Services, and Standard Integrated Supports.