Our outreach arts programs include:

Arts Exchange – Every Thursday night of the year, children whose families are served by HomeFront of Trenton arrive by bus to the ACP’s Robeson Center for a studio art lesson and a hot meal. Arts Exchange has been run continuously since 1993 and provides a safe and nurturing environment for 15-20 elementary school students to explore their creative side.

Art Reach – Since 2003, the ACP has provided free, grant-sponsored, arts classes to local at-risk youth through partnerships with Princeton Nursery School and Princeton Young Achievers. ACP artist-instructor Libby Ramage spends five hours each week working with children at Princeton Nursery School on art projects that promote kindergarten readiness. The afterschool learning centers operated by Princeton Young Achievers become arts incubators each week when ACP artists deliver their Creative Fridays curriculum. Combined, these two ArtReach programs impact nearly 120 local children from grades K-5 during each week of the academic year.

Kids at Work: Discovery through Art – In conjunction with changing exhibitions, local schoolchildren are invited to the Arts Council for an artist-led gallery tour, followed by a hands-on workshop based on the artwork they have just seen.

Arts Programming for Seniors and Caregivers- The ACP is expanding the reach of its arts education to seniors in assisted living, and to family and professional caregivers. Lifelong engagement in the arts has been shown to improve health outcomes for seniors. We are creating opportunities for seniors and their caregivers to engage in active artmaking, while training artists to work alongside seniors in non-studio settings.

Under Age – Each spring, the ACP publishes UnderAge, an anthology of poetry, prose, and artwork by local students in grades K – 12. Most volumes present approximately 80 works as selected by a guest editor. Students whose pieces are chosen read their work aloud at a publication event for families and teachers, usually held in June.

Scholarships – In addition to the programs listed above, the Arts Council has developed a generous scholarship program designed to ensure that no individual will be excluded from fee-based classes and camp programs because of financial reasons. Funding for scholarships is provided by the Shepherd Foundation, the George Dale Scholarship Fund, and the Waxwood Fund. Talented area high school students may also be awarded tuition remission through the newly established Charles Evans Foundation Scholarships.

Other free and affordable Community programs for local youth and families include: • Hometown Halloween Parade • Day of the Dead Festival • Martin Luther King, Jr. Open House • Annual Valentine’s Day Workshop• Cinco de Mayo Celebration • Communiversity Festival of the Arts • Outdoor Summer Concert Series

The ACP’s fall fundraiser, Dining by Design, is critical to the continuance of the mission-related activities listed above.

Funding for these programs is also provided in part by grants from the Mary Owen Borden Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Church & Dwight Employee Giving Fund, Colgate- Palmolive, Concordia Foundation, E.T. Cone Foundation, Horizon Foundation, J. Seward Johnson Sr.,1963 Charitable Trust, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Novo Nordisk, Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, PNC Bank Foundation, Target, and the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation.

If you are interesting in supporting an outreach program through a donation or grant, please contact Andrea Honore at ahonore@artscouncilofprinceton.org.

If you are interested in volunteering your time to one of the programs described above, please contact Julie Sullivan-Crowley at jsullivancrowley@artscouncilofprinceton.org.