Four Roster Teaching Artists Join Arts for Learning’s Artists Building Community Fellowship
Contact: Jessica Dunson
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Arts for Learning Indiana
[email protected]
(317) 925-4043 ext. 120
February 4, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arts for Learning Indiana has selected four teaching artists from our roster to join our Artists Building Community (ABCs) fellowship. The teaching artists selected for this fellowship include Visual Artist Giselle Trujillo, Spoken Word Artist Manon Voice, Musician Mark Peay, and Storyteller Portia Jackson.
Aiming to reach more youth and communities with arts education programming, ABCs will serve as arts ambassadors for Arts for Learning in their individual communities throughout Indianapolis. These communities include Broad Ripple (Trujillo), Fountain Square (Voice), Riverside (Peay), and Center Township (Jackson). Focusing on a grassroots approach, the yearlong fellowship will foster sustainable, equitable, and interdependent relationships between Arts for Learning and new community partners.
“We felt the need to take an asset-based approach. Each fellow was chosen for the Social Capital they have developed within the neighborhoods they are looking to better serve.” said Scott Janz, Director of Artist Programs. “We are excited to see these artists use their creativity to build upon those relationships and meet the needs of their communities through Arts for Learning.”
ABCs officially began their fellowship last month and have met collectively to begin creating a framework for curating programs for their communities. “By building relationships, trust, social awareness and tolerance within the Indianapolis communities that I have served, I have been able to foster hope and creativity among urban youth in a caring, culturally responsive manner.” said Mark Peay. “Music and the arts is an amazing way to foster a culture of compassion and sensitivity among the broad spectrum of our youth and community stakeholders.”
ABCs Fellowship is supported by the Indy Arts and Culture Restart & Resilience Fund: An Arts Council of Indianapolis program made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.
About Arts for Learning Indiana: Since 1961, Arts for Learning Indiana has been the premier provider of arts education programs for youth across Indiana. Their programs empower youth and expand their learning through creative arts experiences. Arts for Learning employs more than 60 teaching artists who provide performances, workshops, and residencies to schools, libraries, parks and community organizations to reach nearly 40,000 youth every year.
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