Arts Festival Board member Jennifer Higgins hands out grab-and-go art supply kits at Spruce Elementary School.
As schools around the state closed due to COVID-19, the Edmonds School District, realizing that for many students, their school lunch was the only consistent meal they had, began a program of Grab ‘N Go meals.
But food wasn’t the only thing students were missing because of the pandemic. Art supplies were locked in classroom closets all over the district. The Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation board of directors knew that these students needed food for their creativity as well as food for their bodies, so they decided to see if they could join the Edmonds School District at their meal delivery stations to provide free art supplies.
“Many students don’t have access to art supplies while schools are closed due to COVID-19,” said Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation President Terry Vehrs. “When the need was brought to the attention of the Edmonds Arts Festival and Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation boards, it was met with unanimous and excited support. Our mission is to bring art to our community, and what better way to accomplish that than preparing art supplies for the students who might not otherwise have been able to exercise their artistic skills?”
Arts Festival Foundation Board member Diane Cutts distributes grab and go art supply kits at Maple Leaf Elementary School.
The school district was excited about the idea, so the foundation purchased $10,000 worth of art supplies and put them together in Grab and Go Art Supply Kits to give to area families so students could continue their artistic activities.
The success of the Grab and Go Art Supply Kits has everything to do with collaboration and leadership. ArtSpot co-owner Tracy Felix used her resources to order 2,000 paint palettes and more than 600 colored pencil sets. Foundation members bought sidewalk chalk, the school district provided the paper, and Edmonds Arts Festival and Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation board members Barbara Childs and Diane Cutts took the lead and made it all happen.
These girls were so excited to get creating that they didn’t even wait to get inside.
All in all, the Grab and Go Art Supply program reached approximately 1,000 children at 13 total sites. An additional 900 paint sets were delivered to students through the Edmonds School District’s direct home delivery program.
The last 200-plus packets, consisting of a variety of either paints or colored pencils and paper, and about 40 sidewalk chalk packets, were donated to the Edmonds Food Bank, where they were given out over about two weeks.
“The most rewarding part of being president of the Festival is seeing concrete examples of how we make our community better for everyone, especially artists,” said Edmonds Arts Festival Co-President Barbara Norgaard-Reid. “This project to support our young, budding artists warms my heart.”
Would you like to support arts education in the community? The Foundation uses revenue generated by the Edmonds Arts Festival for scholarships, community arts education, and public art projects. With the 2020 Festival canceled, we need your help to continue projects like this. Please make a donation today.