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Art Buddies
An Art Buddies Update from our Executive ...

Hello Buddies! An update from Executive Director, Heidi Rich.

Art Buddies
Down and Dirty Masterpiece 2019

Listen to Heidi’s interview with myTalk 107.1.

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Welcome Amanda Cunningham, our new Program ...

Amanda Cunningham became our Program Assistant in August 2019.

Art Buddies at Midtown Global Market's for Ordway's Flint Hills Family Festival

Art Buddies was excited to join Midtown Global Market to offer free kids crafts at the Ordway’s Pop Up event for their summer Flint Hills Family Festival.

Art Buddies provided mentors and supplies to create colorful headbands with the visitors.

You can get involved by donating supplies, funding, or your time as a volunteer! Reach out today!

Season's Greetings Winter 2021

Season’s Greetings! 

Please join me in supporting our little buddies 

Through thick and thin, Art Buddies is there offering free creative mentor programming and outreach for our children from communities experiencing poverty.  And it is only possible with your donation.

Art Buddies is more joyful and meaningful than ever! This year we are providing free one-to-one programming for over 300 kids.

  • In response to the pandemic we are reaching hundreds of scholars with our new Art Buddies Penpal Program, which includes 10 weeks of letters and crafts to and from our Penpal buddy pairs. This program makes our children who are Distance Learning feel connected and important. This new program has proven to be an incredible success in these trying times.

  • For 27 years Art Buddies has brought creativity, connection, and JOY to thousands of elementary scholars with our in-person programming. Our joyful and free semester long Character Creation Program brings one-to-one creative mentoring to scholars from the highest-need schools.

  • In the last two years, Art Buddies has brought over 20,000 Activity Kits to children at Head Start, Minneapolis and St Paul Public Schools, homeless shelters and encampments, and community outreach. It is important for children to know that their ideas and creativity matter!

For in-person programming, we are focused on health and safety with mandatory masks, vaccine requirements and social distancing.

Thanks to your generosity, each of our programs are provided to our communities experiencing poverty completely free of charge. 


Here is where your dollars might go! 

$5000 Activity Book and Kit supplies for Community Outreach

$2000 Stamps for a semester of Art Buddies Penpals

$1000 Technology for Art Buddies Operations

$500 Art supplies for Character Creation Program

$100 Crayons and stickers for Art Buddies Community Outreach 

$50 Big poster board for Art Buddies Programs

$20 Origami Paper for Art Buddies Penpals 

Join me in giving generously to bring connection, encouragement, inspiration, creativity, and joy to our little buddies today! 

Heidi Rich 

Executive Director

And please check out our social media or website to see the JOY in action! @artbuddies

It's back! - Character Creation Programming 2021

For 28 years Art Buddies has brought creativity, connection, and JOY to thousands of elementary scholars with our in-person programming. Our joyful and free semester long Character Creation Program brings one-to-one creative mentoring to scholars from the highest-need schools.

This fall we were requested to return to our beloved school partner - Whittier International Elementary. We have a group of 5 buddies and 5 volunteers working one on one to dream up unique characters inspired by a problem the scholar see's in the world. For in-person programming, we are focused on health and safety with mandatory masks, vaccine requirements, and social distancing.

Our new Penpal Program

In response to the pandemic, Art Buddies created a new program for our scholars who are participating in distance learning, and for the classrooms and schools where we cannot be in person. Just this past year we have reached over 500 scholars. This new program pairs students and mentors - following our traditional one-to-one mentorship mission, and includes 10 weeks of letters and crafts to and from our Penpal buddy pairs. This program makes our children who are Distance Learning feel connected and important. Their ideas and feelings matter! This new program has proven to be an incredible success in these trying times.

At the end of our 10 weeks, we host an hour long in-person Penpal party where mentors and buddies can meet each other to create a bright and beautiful sign. Designed by local Artist Jaimie Chismar of All Are Welcome Here, the decorated signs then fill the hallways of the school - celebrating creativity and connection.

Find more pictures of our Penpal program on our gallery page: https://www.artbuddies.org/galleries

 

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