This past year, Upstream Arts worked with students at Riverbend Education Center, a K-8 school that serves students with severe emotional and behavioral disabilities. One of our activities, Mirror Painting, involves a series of stations: one student explores movement, another “mirrors” the mover with paint, and others support the painter by holding the canvas. Everyone takes turns in each role, a collaboration that teaches self-expression and teamwork alongside visual art principles. In a recent reflection, teachers told us stories of students like Kyle, one of the makers of the painting you see here, who they saw “stepping up,” “expressing himself,” and “shining” in Upstream Arts as never before.
Upstream Arts residencies meet weekly for up to 12-weeks at no cost to participants. This service breaks down to about $285 per participant, per program – and we run more than 80 programs every year! Kyle’s participation in Upstream Arts was made possible in part through generous contributions from our community of individual supporters.
Will you help provide access to Upstream Arts for more students like Kyle? We’d be so honored to have your support. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution online today. You can also mail gifts to Upstream Arts, 3501 Chicago Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55407 or call us at (612) 331-4584 to make a donation over the phone.
Thank you!