Spotlight: Open Door Arts & EdVestors Help Equalize Access to the Arts
BOSTON (5/26/20) - In last week’s Spotlight, we spoke about the effects the current public health emergency are having on students who participate in the arts. While the specific impact there is great, we at MASSCreative firmly believe that the arts should be woven into all young people’s lives. We also recognize that access to opportunities in the arts is not equal for all students, and that the pandemic has only heightened these inequities.
That’s why we were thrilled to hear about the efforts of Open Door Arts and EdVestors who, as part of Boston Public Schools (BPS) Arts Expansion Initiative, distributed 4,400 art kits to students across Boston. Open Door Arts has been a longtime supporter of bringing art to youth in the community, and with a coordinated effort with BPS Visual and Performing Arts Department and funding from the Wellington Management Foundation and Liberty Mutual Foundation, the partners secured the kits with help from Crayola, and immediately set to work on putting them in the hands of students. The kits are being distributed in two ways, with an emphasis on increasing equity and fulfilling need; some are being delivered directly to the homes of students and some are being made available through meal distribution sites. The distribution was made possible with aid from the Mayor’s Office of the City Boston, Northeastern University, Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF), and the YMCA of Greater Boston.
This incredible undertaking is in addition to other programs that were created under the umbrella of the BPS Arts Expansion during the current public health emergency, with the help of partners like Open Door Arts. Online arts classes have become a staple for many students, and #BPSArtsChallenge is constantly encouraging students to flex their creative muscles. Now, even more students can participate, thanks to the equalizing efforts of so many incredible organizations.
At MASSCreative, we believe in the strength of partnership and activating networks to uplift communities. The collaboration between Open Door Arts, Edvestors, and so many more organizations is the perfect demonstration of what can be accomplished when we work together towards a common goal for the benefit of those around us. We’re proud to see the community come together to support the youth of our City, joined by the belief that the arts matter to us all.
Read more about the Initiative at Edify - WBUR
About MASSCreative
MASSCreative works with artists, cultural councils, arts organizations, and the broader creative community to build a Commonwealth where arts and creativity are an expected, recognized, and valued part of everyday life. Working with their coalition of 400 arts and cultural organizations and artists from across the Commonwealth, MASSCreative uses public education and awareness, grassroots organizing, advocacy campaigns, and other civic and political engagement to ensure that arts, culture, and creativity are considered when important policy and political decisions are made at the state and local levels.
