Arts Umbrella!

We’re very happy to announce the first charity that we’ll be supporting through Art & Sole: Arts Umbrella!  A percentage of the auction proceeds from the sale of Vancouver artists’ shoes will be given to this fantastic Vancouver-based non-profit.  

Arts Umbrella is a privately funded organization that runs arts programs for over 8,000 kids (from toddlers to high-school students) on Granville Island, and over 12,000 kids a year through off-site programs.  The aim of the organization is to foster interest in the arts from a young age, and to help participants build skills through process exercises and workshops.  Instead of “training” kids in the arts, and working to prepare them for careers, Arts Umbrella is focused on supporting art for art’s sake, and allowing participants to use their experiences for whatever they choose.  Additionally, Arts Umbrella runs programs that are aimed at vulnerable youth — those who would otherwise not be able to access the fantastic facilities, quality teaching, and tremendous support that Arts Umbrella provides.

We think that this is a fantastic approach, especially in the face of diminishing governmental/public education support for the arts.  

The Arts Umbrella facilities on Granville Island are incredible, and feature everything from multi-purpose visual-arts studios, to dance studios, and digital media labs.  The cost of attendance for young students is very reasonable, due in large part to the support of independent donors.  We hope that our little project is able to help at least a few students gain some of the invaluable experiences that can be had through their programs.

We’d like to thank Susan Smith, the director of development, marketing, and communications, for a fantastic tour.

Tools for Learning:

A corner of the animation studio:

Reference materials:

A postcard in the animation studio:

Googly eyes!

One of the large, multi-use spaces:

Colors!

Masks made by students, for use in drama exercises:

1. vicserte liked this
2. thebradford reblogged this from artandsole2010
3. artandsole2010 posted this