Creating opportunity through art
Inspiring minds and transforming spaces: ProjectArt creates educational and cultural magic in public libraries nationwide.
Mission
To change the way the world sees arts education.
ProjectArt empowers youth, artists and communities by providing visual arts classes and artist residencies in public libraries.
4 million U.S. children have no sustained access to art classes at school. Low-income students highly engaged in the arts are 3X as likely to graduate college as their peers with no arts education. The arts are recognized as a core academic subject under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act yet as of 2020, only 19 states include arts as a key area of their state accountability system.
FEATURED STUDENT
Cas Roscoe
Cas Roscoe takes ProjectArt classes at the Lincoln Library branch in Detroit, with ProjectArt Resident Teaching Artist Mars McCuiston. In March, students participated in a creative project that introduced them to fiber art through self-directed soft sculpture projects.
A note from Cas when asked about their favorite part of making art:
“Art is my way of expressing myself and how I wish the world was. There are many things out there I wish I could change, but instead of focusing on what I can’t change, I make art to celebrate the things I can, and to inspire others.”
FEATURED TEACHER
Leonard Yang
Our Queens Resident Artist, Leonard Yang, works primarily in painting consisting of man-made structures and dwellings amidst detailed landscapes with trees, rocks, sky, sea, flowers, critters, and other natural elements. His spontaneous process begins with abstract color and gesture painting that is merged with imagery from his subconscious thoughts and dreams. These paintings serve as visual narratives, hinting at his home region of Southeast Asia and its myths, cultural icons, landmarks, and landscapes, while capturing feelings of bewilderment, confusion, and anxiety that reflect global crises such as climate disasters, xenophobia, conflicts, and the rise of autocracies.
Leonard Yang had a recent solo show “Asian Bleeding Heart” At the Chinese American Arts Council Gallery in New York.
Featured Library
Main Library
In partnership with the Detroit Public Library, we are thrilled to offer classes at the historic Main Library. This year we offered after-school and weekend classes for students 4-7,8-12 and 4-12.
Funders
As a nonprofit organization, projectart relies on the generosity and support of individual donors, foundations and corporations. Our funders include the following institutions.
