Artstart Start

ArtStart Background. The mission of ArtStart, founded in 1988, has remained constant over its 35-year history: to foster artistic creativity and illuminate the connections among people, ideas, and the environment. Our artists engage children, families, and communities in quality arts education experiences that investigate environmental and cultural themes and use recycled materials. We say we do our work at the intersection of where art, environmental stewardship, and culture come together which enables us to address diversity, equity, and accessibility issues as they relate to our paradigm. ArtStart's 4 core programs are: 1.) ArtStart's ArtScraps, providing low-cost, recycled materials to families, professional and young artists and organizations to further our message of environmental stewardship through the arts; 2.) Adult and Youth Development that includes community workshops in libraries and with social service organizations, school residencies, and summer cultural arts camps to further our message of respect for our environment and honoring the arts of diverse cultures while employing artists from those cultures; 3.) EcoArts Fest, our annual festival bringing youth and families from underserved urban schools together to celebrate and honor artistic, bio, and cultural diversity together demonstrating care for all living things; and 4.) ArtStart Special Projects and Commissions provide emerging and experienced artists with income, training and support. Highlights of 2023. Almost all of our programming is now back to in-person instruction. *ArtStart's ArtScraps Creative Materials and Ideas store continued to be open 3 days a week to the public, and continued to make gains in revenue even with 3 fewer days of being open *ArtStart continued to implement community workshops working with the entire 7-county Metro library system, Washington Co., ScottCo., Hennepin Co., Ramsey Co., Carver Co., Anoka Co., Dakota Co., and the Saint Paul Public Library, as well as the Great River Regional Library system and those in southern Minnesota. Workshops emphasized cultural arts and reuse art workshops. ArtStart implemented 12 school residencies through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, plus 10 additional residencies that were earned income. In addition, ArtStart hosted an educator staff development tuition free for educators on the theme of artful reuse in education. The summer 2023 arts camp, "Passport to Egypt and Turkey Through the Arts" was filled with over 285 children ages 4 years-12 years attending. In addition, ArtStart designed a summer eco arts camp for students ages 6-12 years who attended Sunny Hollow Montessori School, located near the Mississippi River. The board continued its fundraising initiatives holding a Fall and a Spring campaign through GiveMN. Thanks to the support of the City of Saint Paul's Cultural STAR program, ArtStart was able to provide performances and art-making activities within the STAR Cultural corridor. We also received more support from the Henson Foundation that made it possible for ArtStart artists to do puppetry education activities in the community.