Indianapolis nonprofit has a heart for art and kids

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - If you think art is an extraneous subject that isn't important in today's schools, a nonprofit in town would like to draw you a different picture.

Art With a Heart was founded in Indianapolis in 2002 to fill the void left when many schools abandoned art because of budget cuts. But it had its roots many years before that, thanks to the vision of a longtime elementary teacher and artist named Carol Conrad, who dreamed of opening the eyes of disadvantaged kids to the world of art.

The nonprofit is housed - appropriately enough - in an old school on the Near Northside. And it is making a difference in the lives of kids every day, according to executive director Andrew Lee.

"A lot of schools and camps wouldn't be providing an art component if we weren't doing it," Lee said. "In kindergarten particularly, kids would not be receiving any art-based education."

And there's nothing quite like hands-on visual arts experiences to round out a child's learning, he believes.

"Positive self-expression is a necessary component of the full spectrum of education," Lee said, but the lessons also focus on visual thinking strategies and core concepts, reinforcing academics and improving critical thinking.

The agency serves about 2,000 children in the school year, with help from "nomad teaching artists" who travel from school to school, assisting in classrooms where the teacher either doesn't have the time or the training to teach art. They also set up shop in libraries and community centers after school. In the summer, another 2,000 kids participate, mostly through day camps.

Central Indiana Community Foundation helps support the program financially; other funds come from program fees, donations and fundraisers, including the Art With a Heart gala in April.

The group currently is making a big push into kindergarten classrooms, providing materials and training to help classroom teachers deliver lessons. To do that, it needs committed volunteers to work directly with children a couple of hours a week for at least a semester. Immediate volunteer openings are in IPS, Decatur and Lawrence townships and the Greenwood Community Center.

"Part of what we look for in volunteers is consistency, whether it's a 10-week after school program or 20 weeks of kindergarten," Lee said. "You're already dealing with kids who see a lot of transience in their lives. So for there to be a caring adult consistently is something we can do that is important. It's not a trivial engagement at all, but there's quite a lot of training."

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Source: The Indianapolis Star, http://indy.st/1Ls25MD

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Information from: The Indianapolis Star, http://www.indystar.com