ArtReach reaches everyone

With all of the cutbacks and funding issues surrounding the arts, we need to embrace those organizations that aim to continue to bring arts to the community. ArtReach is one of those organizations. Their mission is to “change lives through the arts” by providing access to arts and cultural experiences for underserved and at-risk people of all ages. I spoke with Sarah Gulinska and Tricia Schmuki about ArtReach and found out just what a necessity organizations like theirs really are in this community.

Q: What is the mission of ArtReach?
Tricia: ArtReach has been providing quality art programs for disadvantaged people in the Denver metro communities for 35 years.    We provide over 70,000 people annually with the gift of the arts - providing inspiration, sparking creativity, fostering understand and education, uplifting spirits, and often changing lives.  ArtReach fulfills a basic need to feed people’s spirits and souls.

ArtReach provides 50,000 free tickets to cultural events and museums each year, and brings arts education to 12,000 children and youth at public schools and nonprofit, human service organizations.  With the arts flourishing in our cities, we are proud to provide opportunities to experience the arts for young immigrant children, families that are at the poverty level, and seniors who are disabled or isolated.  

feed people’s spirits and souls."
 

Q. How does ArtReach reach all of the people that you seek to help?
Sarah: All of the underserved individuals we serve in the Community Tickets Program come from local human service non-profits, title one schools and other government agencies that serve at risk and underserved populations. We work directly with the organization, rather than the individuals. We work to connect those in need with the arts and culture community, but because at-risk and underserved people often need special care, we let the experts in each area of the human service sector help their individuals take advantage of the programs.

Q. Why do you feel it is important to get access to the arts for the underserved?
Sarah: Underserved is such a broad term, but it really is the only term that really captures everyone we are focused on reaching. The reasons why it is important seem to change depending on what kind of challenge the person is facing. For the inner-city children and youth we serve, the access is needed to show them things they may never have experienced, improve their self image and self esteem and provide an alternative to destructive behavior. For those dealing with mental and physical illness, homelessness, abuse and other personal crises, the reasons are more about giving people tools to enjoy the time they have left, or the tools to survive. The arts are a source of healing and hope on many levels. It is a universal language that can really help underserved individuals in particular learn something new, forget about their problems, and learn to cope with whatever situation the are facing.

the access is needed to show them things they may never have experienced"
 

Tricia: Those that we serve state that they would not have the opportunities that we provide if left to their own resources.  Our programming is often the first experience for a child to see a live performance, travel downtown, or learn about photography or dance.  Our Arts Benefiting Kids Program Evaluation gives the following results:  Arts Benefiting Kids workshops extended the diversity of arts experiences for the participating students by providing many first time experiences with a particular medium or topic. A significant majority of children (85% in DPS workshops and 77% in community based organizations) found the particular medium or topic completely new.  One student commented, “What I like the best is creating things you never did before.”

Q: What types of activities and events does ArtReach provide tickets to?
Sarah: We have several arts and culture organizations that make a year long commitment to donate general admission passes on a monthly bases or pledge to donate tickets to us for each of their productions. Other organizations donate to events based on ticket sales and their ability to give from production to production. We will work with anyone, but the majority of our activities come from small theaters, dance companies, musical ensembles, collaborative events and major cultural facilities. We provide access to whatever Sports, Music, Dance, Theater, or Cultural Organization that is willing to donate. The Community Tickets program collaborates with about 100 ticket donors each year, but we have the audience and the capacity to work many more.

Q: How can someone support ArtReach?
Tricia: Individuals can support us through donations through our website or the mail, monthly or payroll deductions individually or through their employer.  We have an annual 12-Days of Giving campaign in December, February 7, 2009 Dine and D’art event, and accept in-kind donations.  Individuals, foundations and corporations can support our events, programs and organization through contributions and volunteering.  ArtReach has a need for volunteers to help in our office and in the community.

 Our programming is often the first experience for a child to see a live performance, travel downtown, or learn about photography or dance."