Fourteen Area Schools Awarded Grants For Arts Education Projects

The Arts and Education Council and Maritz have awarded 14 area schools with grants to support classroom-based art projects during the 2019-2020 academic year. The program, administered by the Arts and Education Council, is funded by a $25,000 gift from Maritz with additional support provided by individual donors. With these 14 grants, this unique partnership between the Arts and Education Council and Maritz has generated over a quarter of a million dollars for art education across the bi-state region since 2009.

"The Arts and Education Council is proud to support educators who recognize the power of the arts to make a profound impact in students' lives across our region," said Cynthia A. Prost, Arts and Education Council president and CEO. "We are grateful to have a partner like Maritz who also recognizes the importance of the arts to strengthen students' core curriculum studies and build 21st-century skills like creativity, collaboration and critical thinking,"

"At Maritz, we are dedicated to empowering people to reach their full potential, and our philanthropic efforts reflect that same commitment," said Debbie Schirmer, Maritz community affairs director. "This year as Maritz celebrates its 125th anniversary, we are happy to continue our partnership with the Arts and Education Council through the Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers and provide individual teachers and schools the critical funding for art education projects that would otherwise go unfunded."

Schools receiving Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers grants during the 2019-20 academic year are (in alphabetical order):

Bayless Junior High (Afton, MO) will develop a sign-making program to aid students in creating dynamic signs for theatre productions, mural projects and other school signage using specialized equipment.

Collinsville High School's (Collinsville, IL) Life Skills students, students whose physical and educational needs are such that they are not mainstreamed into the general school population, will participate in the annual madrigal concert.

Fairview Elementary (Jennings, MO) students will explore new art forms through research, observation and sketching during a three-day excursion to the St. Louis Art Museum.

Griffith Elementary (Ferguson, MO) will provide instruments, books and supplies to students who wish to participate in the school band program by creating a fund for district-owned instruments in need of repair.

Halls Ferry Elementary (Florissant, MO) fourth grade students will learn how to play an instrument at a free or reduced cost. Students will learn flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, percussion or tuba.

Hazelwood West High School (Hazelwood, MO) will present Writers Week, a four-day program that allows students, teachers and professional writers to present original stories, essays, poems and songs to the student body.

Herculaneum High School (Herculaneum, MO) students and students throughout the district will perform in a musical in the spring.

Lincoln Middle School (East St. Louis, IL) String Orchestra Program promotes and encourages the understanding, playing and appreciation of stringed instruments among an at-risk population. Students will put on a live performance exhibiting the skills developed throughout the year.

Maplewood Richmond Heights Early Childhood Center (Maplewood, MO) will encourage students to develop a sense of self through self-portrait exploration. Students will explore emotion while working with local, professional artists, traveling to art museums and hosting a student-led gallery.

Students from McCluer High School and Steam Academy at McCluer South Berkeley (Florissant, MO) will work together to perform the musical "Sister Act."

Northview Elementary (Jennings, MO) will develop a new Eight Bit Animation Initiative, a collaborative program with a local media company that provides students useful and engaging digital design experience.

Soldan International Studies High School (St. Louis, MO) students will explore all facets of musical theatre, including technical elements such as sets, lighting, sound and costumes, through a production of "Chicago: High School Edition".

Southview School (St. Louis, MO) through the Musical Expression Through Interaction project will create of an interactive, musical sculpture garden for special needs students ages 5-21.

Willow Brook Elementary School (St. Louis, MO) students will create a unique outdoor art installation comprised of a tiled mural, ceramic totems and a sensory wall. Students and teachers will be involved in the creation of this permanent art installation.

The Maritz Arts and Education Fund for Teachers offers schools and teachers unique funding opportunities to support creativity in the classroom. Applications were reviewed by a community review panel at the Arts and Education Council's Centene Center for the Arts, an arts incubator in the heart of the Grand Center Arts District.

For more information about the Arts and Education Council's grant programs, visit KeepArtHappening.org/grant-programs.

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