Program Highlights 2023
Programming Accomplishments
We launched a pilot of the full program in November 2023 and ending in December 2023 at our partner site, the West County First 5 Learning Center, to test curriculum with the goal of strengthening the learning experience for children. For five weeks, our pilot program focused on building an experience focused on creative exploration, transformation, and social as well as emotional learning. Each lesson was anchored in process-based and nature-inspired content, inviting our young participants to delve deeper into the art-making process. In addition, I designed a parent engagement strategy that meaningfully welcomed families into the classroom, and I curated a carefully selected booklist with stories of creativity and art-making, specifically tailored for our 2–5-year-olds. This, coupled with a sequence of playful movements developed alongside a movement expert, supported the children and their parents to find balance and calm, transforming the classroom into a fully immersive creative experience for all.
We plan to design the full curriculum ahead of next year's engagement and extend this experience to even more students from January 2024 - December 2024.
Funding Accomplishments
We are overflowing with gratitude to the California Arts Council, the Richmond Arts & Culture Commission, and the Chamberlin Education Foundation in particular for believing in the transformative potential of our program. Since our inception in May 2023, we have been awarded a total of $35,250 in public and private funding. This accomplishment should not be undervalued in that we had yet to launch our program and instead had to rely on the strength of our ideas and the value of our partnerships.
Community Partnerships
Powerful partnerships have been critical to our early success across Richmond's local arts and education landscape. For example, at the West County First 5 Learning Center, we've co-created a nature-inspired program that awakens young minds to the joy of process-based art. The Richmond Museum of Culture & History invites us to share stories through art, with the goal of connecting children and families to their heritage and community. With the Bay Area Girls Club, we are supporting this organization to empower young girls to explore their creative voices, while the Richmond Rotary Club's unwavering support provides crucial resources so that we may continue to serve our community.
Success Stories
We conducted light program assessments and as a precursor to what type of data we should gather once we launch the full program in 2024. A summary of program data is below:
Our 5-week pilot offered a glimpse into the impact of our art program for 2–3-year-olds. We saw some exciting results:
Laser focus: Children engaged in the art-making process for up to 20 minutes, completing each lesson – a remarkable achievement for this age group.
Family teamwork: Sharing lesson plans and activity suggestions sparked parent interest and ignited family art sessions at home. We saw an 80% family retention rate, surpassing the typical 50% drop-off at other programs.
Movement matters: Incorporating a curated booklist, storytelling, and movement exercises, recommended by our Early Learning Advisor, seemed to contribute to these positive outcomes.
Positive feedback from parents: Finally, the Center conducted an exit survey that will be shared with us at the start of 2024. The Center director has informally shared that parents are eager to re-enroll next year.
We're thrilled with these initial findings and will refine our data collection methods as we launch the full program in 2024.
2024 Goals
In 2024, we're reaching for more ambitious goals because Richmond's children and families deserve them! Below is an outline of the strategic plan to make it happen:
Growing our resources: We're aiming to secure 20% more funding to expand our programs and keep them free and accessible for all. While this is a modest estimate, we firmly believe that growing our resources by 7K - 10K is achievable.
Welcoming more young artists: We're opening our doors wider to serve 100 more children and their families, nurturing their creativity and potential. With the support of public and private funding awarded in 2023, we believe we can meet this goal in 2024.
Building bridges in our community: We'll deepen our connections with our key partner organizations, namely West County First 5 Learning Center and Richmond Museum of Culture & History, to offer broad and enriching arts experiences. We plan to deepen our relationship with new partner organizations such as the Bay Area Girls Club to create a community calendar that highlights activities, resources, and events in a coordinated 'networked' approach to bring more resources together for families.
Joining hands with powerful allies: We'll forge new partnerships with key players in the local arts and education landscape, namely the Richmond Rotary Club, Richmond City Council and Mayor's Office, the non-profit Fierce Advocates, and Peres Elementary and the West County Contra Costa Unified School District to amplify our impact and reach more families and children.
Upcoming Events
Our upcoming public events include:
'Know Your Community' Roundtable Series:
This event is co-sponsored by the Richmond Museum of Culture & History and will take place on Saturday, March 23, 2024 from 2 pm - 4 pm in the Museum's Seaver Gallery. Richmond Museum of Culture & History staff will invite diverse leaders and cultural institutions to share their expertise, insights, and perspectives. These presentations will provide a platform for our communities to showcase our rich heritage.
Description: The Children's Art Studio Richmond / Taller de Arte Para Niños Richmond will be among the featured organizations at the first event in this series. The inaugural roundtable panel discussion, titled From Underinvestment to Flourishing: Reinvigorating the Arts in Richmond, will address the underinvestment in the arts within the Richmond community, examining its historical and societal roots, its impact on individuals and communities, and potential solutions to foster greater support for the arts in Richmond and beyond.
Modern Children's Art Exhibition & Family Day:
This event is hosted by the Richmond Museum of Culture & History and will take place on May 18, 2004 from 1 pm - 4 pm. The exhibit will take place in the Museum's Seaver Gallery with the exhibit extending through July 2024.
Description: Working along with the Richmond Museum of History & Culture, we will exhibit the work created in the Children's Art Studio Richmond and host a Family Day / Dia de Familia showcasing the work of the children. The exhibit and community event will include docent-led tours, hands-on activities, and opportunities to connect as a community. Our goal is to showcase the creativity and talent of young artists in the community. We hope to build enthusiasm for arts-based learning while pointing out the need for larger investment in quality learning and expanded childcare for underserved communities.