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30 Days of Thanksgiving Community

Art with a Heart – 30 Days of Thanksgiving

At F.C. Tucker we talk a lot about “paying our civic rent,” so for the month of November, we would like to express our gratitude to the many organizations and individuals who serve their communities tirelessly and make Indiana a better place to live and work. We obviously can’t highlight everyone, but we would like to salute these 30 organizations that are making a difference.

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 22: Art with a Heart

Art is a very powerful motivator, and the Indianapolis non-profit Art With a Heart knows this all too well. Using the power of visual art, AWaH is able to educate and inspire the at-risk youth of the city, helping them focus their creativity on the positive aspects of life. This organization melds academics with artistry, creating a unique and thoughtful environment for the kids who need it most.

Some view artistic expression as a luxury, but AWaH sees it as a necessity. Founder Carol Conrad realized that art can, and should, be a useful tool in education, especially for those less fortunate. She and her colleagues have since developed lesson plans which inspire these children to think critically and problem-solve all the while remaining creative through art. AWaH works with the state of Indiana to meet education standards and work right in the classroom of local schools. Take their Creative Classroom Connections program which brings together teachers and volunteers to take students through 3 different art-focused centers throughout their school day. Here, everything from counting to spelling to artistic processes are explored. Outside of the classroom, they offer programs in homeschool education where a trained art teacher will teach students about a variety of artistic mediums such as painting, drawing, sculpture and printmaking, all the while learning about famous artists from history. Even their after-school program uses the power and influence of art to help teach at-risk children in Indianapolis schools about different ideas and ways of life. Even better, for those who show promise and want to more deeply explore painting, sculpture or drawing, they can enroll in AWaH’s Saturday Studio program which allows the students to indulge in art history, current popular artists’ works and explore their own talent. Students that work their way up to their honor’s program get to do all sorts of fun things like, say, their recent trip to Chicago to visit the Fields Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Throughout the year, AWaH participates in myriad events to raise money and spread their artistic agenda. They work closely with Sun King, Indy’s most popular brewery, in events like their annual CANvitational, among others. They also host their own special occasions such as art exhibits where they’ll showcase the works of their students, as well as painting parties, block parties, dinners, golf outings and much more.

To donate to Art With a Heart, check out their website for all sorts of ways to give. Did you know that just $10 will provide a student with enough art supplies for 10 weeks in their program? And actually, it only takes a $100 donation to support a student’s full participation in the AWaH program. They say the most unsafe time of day for a child is during the hours after school before their parents get home. So why not support an organization that’s working tirelessly to make sure children have a safe, supportive and creative place to spend their time.

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