For the third summer in a row, the Fund for the Arts was able to work with the Metro Louisville Community Centers to bring “School’s Out= Art’s In” to 19 community centers throughout Jefferson County. “School’s Out = Art’s In” would not have been possible without the support of UPS, Sam and Bonnie Rechter Family Foundation and Louisville Metro Parks.
“School’s Out = Art’s In” took place at community centers found in the five areas known as the “Zones of Hope”: California, Newburg, Baxter, Southwick and Shawnee. Fund for the Arts and its cultural partners gave the children of these community centers the opportunity to learn and practice a wide range of art forms at no cost!
Fund for the Arts Cultural Partners include: Actors Theatre of Louisville, FFTA Properties, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft (KMAC), Kentucky Opera Association, Kentucky Shakespeare, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, Louisville Theatrical Association, Louisville Visual Art (LVA) Association, Louisville Youth Choir, Louisville Youth Orchestra, StageOne Family Theatre, Walden Theatre, and West Louisville Performing Arts Academy.
Jackie Pallesen, Director of Education and Outreach at Louisville Visual Art (LVA), explained that many of these community centers don’t have the resources to make art a part of their summer camps, and that’s where Fund for the Arts comes in. They provide grants to these centers to set up art programs tailored to each location’s abilities and needs. The programs are run as part of the summer camps, and members from the cultural partner organizations come and teach the children about the arts. Some learn about improv and monologues while others learn about singing and dancing- just to name a few. Pallesen emphasized how the children are able to be engaged in the arts with the access and opportunity to receive a well-rounded taste of what the arts can offer.
Students ranged from six to fourteen years old, and at the end of the program, each center has a closing event for their families and friends. The Southwick Community Center had a special performance for the public this past Thursday, July 30th, at Central Park. Prior to the show, UPS even presented Fund for the Arts with a check for $25,000 for future funding of this program.
For the performance, the students put on an original show, “A Tribute to Samuel Moore.” Samuel Moore is a Louisville native who went to Central High School, played professionally for the Harlem Globetrotters and the Harlem Magicians, and returned to Louisville to be a teacher. Even after he retired, he continues to help out at the Southwick Community Center. The students told the story of Samuel Moore’s life and showed their gratitude through acting, singing, dancing, and speaking. They had fun on stage, and everyone in the audience loved it!
This was a prime example of what children, families, and the community could gain from programs such as these, and these programs are funded through the generosity of sponsorships and donations. Pallesen noted that they’ve had parents call Southwick asking about “School’s Out= Art’s In,” and they hope to continue to receive this kind of positive response and to spread the word about this program so that more may benefit from it.
To learn more about Fund for the Arts, click here.
To learn more about “School’s Out= Art’s In,” click here.
Photos by Sarah Katherine Davis for LVA
