ArtStart

The Carol Sirrine 
Access to the Arts Legacy Fund

Make a difference in children’s lives through hands-on arts access for all

“As the founder of ArtStart, I have witnessed first-hand the power of the arts when taught by highly qualified artists and arts educators to change lives.” – ArtStart's founder Carol Sirrine

Last year, Carol Sirrine, ArtStart’s founder, educator, and innovative leader, retired after leading the organization for more than 35 years. Her vision focused on creating and cultivating opportunities for children and adults to explore new artforms, see the world in new ways, and grow as artists, global citizens, and stewards of our earth. 

You can help honor Carol’s legacy with the establishment of a new fund to ensure arts access for all.

Carol remained steadfast in her belief in the Ten Lessons the Arts Teach by Elliot Eisner. “The arts celebrate multiple perspectives. One of their large lessons is that there are many ways to see and interpret the world,” Eisner said. The innovative programs Carol created focus on the link between the arts and the environment with a multicultural, interdisciplinary view of the world. 

“My main goal was to find the resources that make the arts accessible for all and design programs that inspire all learners to feel safe in the exploration of their most creative selves. When this happens life becomes meaningful, significant, and empowering.” – Carol Sirrine

Help foster critical thinking, problem solving, esteem building, and citizenship.

To honor Carol Sirrine’s incredible legacy in Twin Cities arts education, The Carol Sirrine Access to the Arts Legacy Fund will make critical interdisciplinary arts programming accessible in all Twin Cities communities during a time of decreased funding in arts education. 

Your support will help ArtStart increase access to the arts and art-making in the Twin Cities through:

• School Residency Program: ArtStart’s artist-in-residence program in the schools unlocks each child’s creative artist within. ArtStart’s educators spark creativity, engage students in the artistic process, and encourage learning through a variety of methods. With arts- and STEAM-based interdisciplinary curriculum, K – 6th graders learn about protecting the environment, reuse, and sustainable practices through the arts.
  
  
• Arts and Culture Camps: ArtStart camps offers unique camps for children and teens throughout the year with a focus on learning about world cultures through multidisciplinary arts. The fund will support scholarships for children who wouldn’t normally have access to camps.
  
  
• The Reentry Lab & ArtStart Writing Fellowship: This fellowship is designed to create opportunities for mentorship, teaching experience, and creative time for individuals who have been impacted by the criminal legal system. The first fellow recipient is poet Davi Gray, mentored by Michael Kleber-Diggs. The two are teaching beginning poetry workshops for adults.

Please donate in any amount you are able to give today to honor Carol’s legacy of creating transformative arts experiences for all.