Exeter Events and Tent’s “Quest to Reinvest” offers grants to all types of non-profit organizations though out New Hampshire during the year. All are creative... Read More
Exeter Events and Tent’s “Quest to Reinvest” offers grants to all types of non-profit organizations though out New Hampshire during the year. All are creative and valuable in their own way and some like Arts in Reach are outside the box creative. A great event and a great organization to support so we decided to feature them in this week’s blog post. Check them out and then participate in the Portsmouth walk.
Arts In Reach was established in 1997 by UNH art history graduates Kristin Forselius and Amanda Tappan as a summer day camp that focused on visual arts and art history. Both Kristin and Amanda wanted to serve girls from low to moderate income families because they felt strongly that the arts should be accessible to all. They began developing Arts In Reach three months before the summer vacation and hit the pavement hard to fundraise. Liberty Mutual signed on as the first corporate sponsor and remains today as AIR’s longest continuing corporate sponsor. With their support and that of friends and family, during that first summer Amanda and Kristin raised almost $2,000, enough to buy art supplies, pay for weekly field trips, and rent a space.
By July 1, there were nine girls, ages 12-14, on the roster and six weeks of programming planned, including outdoor painting on the Isles of Shoals, a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and several workshops led by volunteer artists. The program was free to participants, as is continued today. That first summer camp immediately became popular and quickly sparked the interest of local schools and other families in need. The initial program not only raised participants’ cultural awareness, but to everyone’s surprise, it also made the girls feel stronger about their identity and what they could accomplish. Their family and peer relationships improved, and they had a renewed interest in school. These unexpected results became the basis for AIR’s mentoring approach, using the arts as the platform for success.
AIR Today
Arts In Reach today offers 10 annual programs in dance, theater, music, film, visual arts and career development. AIR balances positive youth development and artistic goals, values the process of creating art over the product, and commits to making programs accessible to lower income youth by charging no fees and assisting in transportation.
Meeting after-school and during school vacations, each program is led by professional artists with extensive educational experience and provides young women with hands-on activities to enhance their artistic abilities. The structured curriculum provides space for participant individuality and creativity while providing a framework for group mentoring that helps girls build confidence and develop constructive behaviors, resiliency, and values, including self-esteem, teamwork, leadership, and creative expression.
October 20, 2012
When: Saturday October 20th from 8:30-11:15am
Where: 11 Jewell Court, Portsmouth NH 03801
AIRWalk is:
- AIR’s first ever teen and family fundraiser!
- a fun, noncompetitive, three mile walk through beautiful downtown Portsmouth.
- an opportunity to raise funds that will provide local teenage women access to mentoring and high quality theatre, dance, visual arts and creative writing programs- all free of cost!
- a great way to show your support for the arts and the young women of our community!
- an event for air teens, family members, community members.
—————Registration:
Registration is $15 and includes an AIR tee-shirt. Children under 12 walk for free.
Families, groups and leashed dogs are welcome!
Click to Enlarge
About AIRWalk: In 2011, one teen participant decided to plan the first ever AIRWalk as a way to celebrate her love for AIR and help provide funding for programs in the future. All proceeds benefit AIR’s mentoring, theatre, dance, visual arts and creative writing programs.