Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Commemorate Arts in Education Week

September 11, 2024 | Sarasota

As part of Arts in Education Week, the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation and Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall proudly commemorate significant milestones in their ongoing commitment to enhancing arts education for local students. For more than three decades, the Foundation has been a vital philanthropic partner, supporting the city-owned Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and its educational endeavors. Together, the organizations deeply serve the community through innovative and impactful programming.

“The arts are a cornerstone of education, igniting creativity, self-expression and imagination,” said Kelli Maldonado, Executive Director of Mission and Impact for the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation. “Thanks to our donors and supporters, we can make arts accessible to every child in our community, empowering them to explore and reach their fullest potential.”

Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation, in collaboration with the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, is transforming arts education through a diverse range of innovative programs designed to make the arts more accessible and impactful. Just last year, these efforts reached more than 38,000 students, including through the celebrated Schooltime Performances, where students experienced live performances by nationally and internationally renowned artists. Each Schooltime Performance connects to Florida’s BEST Standards through engaging modules of arts-integrated lesson plans. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the After School Arts Program to expand their creativity. Seventy-eight percent of the students reported improved writing skills, and 63% said they felt more interested in the arts. One student shared, “I’ve never seen myself write this well before.”

“The arts are a wonderful vehicle to help reinforce curricular learning in our schools,” said Justin Gomlak, Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. “We’re incredibly lucky to have the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation and the Van Wezel aligned in the belief that arts education is essential.”

The Foundation and Hall are committed to providing the very best arts-integrated professional development to area teachers as part of the John F. Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program with the School Board of Sarasota County.

Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation has also prioritized family engagement through programs like Mr. Stevey & Friends, which teaches creative and emotional development through the arts. In collaboration with Newtown Nation, the Newtown Farmer’s Market, and Florida Arts and Culture, Mr. Stevey & Friends is a free community program geared towards pre-school and elementary school aged children and their families to engage in mindfulness activities and create art in all its various forms. Local artists guide participants in activities and make-and-take art projects and read-alongs. Surveys from participating families show that 100% of parents learned new ways to bring arts into their home, while 98% reported learning strategies to support their child’s emotional and behavioral growth.

Research Backs the Power of Arts Education
National data underscores the importance of arts education:

• Students involved in the arts are five times less likely to drop out of school.
• Four years of arts participation can boost SAT scores by over 150 points.
• Low-income students engaged in the arts are twice as likely to graduate from college compared to their peers without arts exposure.