December 2022
From the Executive Director
Dear Friends,

As Art with a Heart launches into 2023 and its 23rd year, we look back at 2022 with a sense of pride and accomplishment:
 
  • The programming team provided 12,727 art classes and 280,284 art experiences in the last year - a 29% increase from 2021. The organization averaged 245 classes per week and 1,440 students per day! 
  • The Community Service and Public Art team completed and installed 14 public art projects accounting for over 2,000 square feet of awe-inspiring beauty. This achievement is the result of the 2,331 volunteers whose commitment helped to complete these projects.
  • The HeARTworks program graduated 167 students (a 17% increase from 2021) and engaged 36 interns totaling over 3,220 hours of service. Heartwares sold over 1,000 products in the last year and had its most successful holiday season ever. 
  • Art of Leadership graduated another 21 students bringing its alumni network to 132 civic-minded young adults.The 2022 program engaged 35 guest speakers, facilitators, and panelists to educate and inspire the 7th cohort of students.
  • The Special Projects branch completed projects at 22 partner sites resulting in 2,753 square feet of public art in Baltimore City schools and community organizations.
 
The impact of Art with a Heart's efforts are shared more specifically (and visually) throughout this newsletter. The Art with a Heart team could not do this work without you and the devoted Board, Advisory Board, Impressionists, teachers, assistants, interns, apprentices, and volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to the organization. Now, more than ever, we hope you will consider supporting Art with a Heart to help sustain the organization’s efforts for the children and adults who benefit from, and cherish, Art with a Heart's programming. You can donate here.
 
The entire Art with a Heart team wishes you a safe and healthy new year filled with creativity, inspiration, and hope.
Randi Pupkin
Founder/Executive Director
A Look Back at Programming 
December brings the opportunity to reflect on the past year. In one year's time, the Programming branch grew to new heights and triumphed over challenges, with the distinct awareness that each milestone makes a difference in the lives of its students. Each and every one of Art with a Heart's 12,727 classes provided students the opportunity to create, reflect, and find joy. When asked how art makes him feel, an Art with a Heart elementary aged student said, "I feel free, like I can do anything!"

Programming welcomed 14 new community partners who joined the branch roster of 66 existing programs. We are grateful for the consistency of our partnerships and the 148 teachers and assistants who have dedicated themselves to our wonderful students of all ages. Art with a Heart teachers truly bring their best selves to the classroom and show students that there are people who care deeply about them and want to see them succeed. “I hope that although the middle school students showed tough resistance and sometimes indifference, they know that AWAH is consistent, endures and has a heart for them!” Sheryl, Art with a Heart teacher.
A Look Back at Community Service and Public Art
Over the last year, Art with a Heart continued to develop its expanding community of volunteers - including the assistance of over 650 volunteers in Ashkelon, Israel who contributed to the three breathtaking sculptures installed at Amigour Towers. You can learn more about this project here.

In 2022, Art with a Heart engaged 87 service groups and over 3,200 individual volunteers in over 6,865 hours of service (the equivalent of three full-time employees!). This dedication of time and energy helped Art with a Heart complete 14 public art installations.

Art with a Heart kicked off 2022 with preparation for the University of Maryland Midtown Campus Outpatient Tower mosaic, which is the organization’s largest mosaic installation to date, standing at an impressive 17 feet in height and 15 feet in width! The project engaged over 300 volunteers from Art with a Heart and the administration and staff from the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The 14 public art installations used 3,053 pounds of glass. For perspective, 3,000 pounds is the weight of:
  • A toyota corolla
  • A male bison
  • A giraffe
  • A female hippopotamus

With four large-scale public art projects already in development for 2023, the Community Service and Public Art branch is looking forward to an exciting year of creating and building beautiful works of art for the community, by the community!
A Look Back at the Art of Leadership
The Art of Leadership program continued to delve into societal issues and community concerns to educate and grow young leaders. Cohort 7 got to know one another's personal stories and developed knowledge about race, class history and intersectionality. The group was fortunate to learn from 35 guest speakers, panelist and facilitators.

In July 2022, Cohort 7 completed and installed their capstone project at the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI-Metropolitan Baltimore). A Cohort 7 student, designed the multimedia mosaic. Volunteers, staff members, and students inscribed hopeful messages to inspire those who interact with the art piece. The 21 exceptional members of Cohort 7 graduated in July 2022, and brought the number of Art of Leadership Alumni to 132! With family and friends in attendance, students spoke about the lasting impact of the program: listening to different perspectives, creating a safe community, and becoming stronger advocates for equity and justice.

In August 2022, the 8th Cohort of Art of Leadership students gathered to begin their year-long learning journey. The current cohort has 19 students from 17 public and independent schools. A Cohort 8 student recently said, “By sharing stories and being vulnerable we can learn through the experiences of others and feel a personal connection to them that makes them feel supported, represented, and seen.”

The application for the 9th Cohort of the Art of Leadership Program is now open. Current 9th and 10th grade students with an interest in developing leadership and advocacy skills, exploring social justice issues, and creating a community with a diverse group of peers are eligible to apply. The application deadline is March 10, 2023. 
A Look Back at HeARTworks/HeARTwares
It was a busy and productive year for HeARTworks and HeARTwares. HeARTworks was thrilled to add five new partners to its growing workforce collaborations which now total 17 community sites. Through its growing partnerships, the HeARTworks team graduated 167 students and offered 12 paid apprenticeships. In addition to the apprentices, HeARTworks was fortunate to have 36 interns over the last year who dedicated 3,220 hours of service to the organization.

In 2022, Art with a Heart was determined to further expand its digital offerings. The HeARTworks team enhanced its STEAM courses to include a more robust and technical curriculum in design thinking, graphic design, and digital fabrication. Students in the Cecil Kirk Recreation Center program used their newly acquired graphic design and typography skills to design a mural for the center.

The HeARTwares team has enjoyed hosting in-person events and parties while still offering virtual opportunities. The Heartwares team hosted 12 art parties (both in-person and virtual) and led art activities at 15 community events and conferences.
A Look Back at Special Projects
In 2022, Art with a Heart’s Special Projects initiative provided a plethora of art experiences and newly beautified spaces for Baltimore’s young people. The 19 projects completed in the last year include the following:

  • Students at Sharp-Leadenhall School who confront emotional and behavioral challenges worked with clay and mosaics for the first time ever to create a ceramic picnic display and beautiful stepping stones for their campus.
  • Young women who attend Lillie May Carroll Jackson Charter School helped, along with the staff and administration, to create four beautiful murals of influential women of color.
  • In South Baltimore, students at James McHenry Elementary/Middle School have freshly-painted walls in eight restrooms with creative and affirming messages,
  • Students in grades 1 through 5 at George Washington Elementary School created their neighborhood in ceramics; their ceramic mural now greets them and their families at the main entrance of the school.
  • Dunbar High School students had an opportunity to engage in visual art in an after-school club where they created three murals for their hallways.
  • Middle school students at The Jewish Community Center reflected on their own identities as they created reverse-painted self-portraits to take home to their families.

Art with a Heart is delighted to have many new special projects in the queue for the coming year and looks forward to continuing its efforts to provide residencies and experiences for children and youth in the Baltimore community.
3000 Falls Road | Mill No. 1 | Baltimore, MD 21211