Gary teens will soon have a new opportunity to express their creativity in a series of art workshops, thanks to a recently launched crowdfunding campaign. The campaign, sponsored by the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and offered through the crowdfunding platform developed by Patronicity is being run by the Gary for Life Initiative, in partnership with the Gary Economic Development Corporation and Gary Youth Services.
“It is so important we are giving young people various outlets to express themselves creatively,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch who serves as board chair of IHCDA. “This program is encouraging young people to use art to create something positive in their community. For that reason, we couldn’t be more excited to come alongside the City of Gary and their Gary for Life Initiative.”
If the campaign reaches its $5,500 goal by May 17th, the ‘All Things Art Workshops’ will receive a matching grant of $5,500 from IHCDA’s CreatINg Places program.
Visit https://www.patronicity.com/project/all_things_art_workshop#!/ for project details and to donate.
The funding raised during this campaign will allow Gary for Life to host a 10-week-long summer series of workshops focused on providing Gary teens with a safe space to engage with different forms of art. Each of the free workshops will focus on a different art form, such as dance, painting, music, sketching or fashion, and each will be taught by a local expert in that art form. Teens who attend each workshop, hosted at Gary Youth Services, will have the opportunity to present what they’ve worked on at a public showcase at the Gary Public Library and Cultural Center; print art will be showcased at City Hall for a week after the workshops end.
“This is an awesome opportunity from the IHCDA,” said Joy Holliday, Program Manager for Gary for Life. “This campaign will offer a chance to expose youth in our community to the arts, and help them create positive lifelong experiences.”
Since the CreatINg Places program began last fall, projects have raised in excess of $1,140,000 in public funds and an additional $900,000 in matching IHCDA funds.
The CreatINg Places program is available to projects located in Indiana communities. Non-profit entities (with 501c3 or 501c4 status) and Local Units of Government are eligible to apply.
Eligible projects must have a minimum total development cost of $10,000, where the recipient will receive $5,000 in IHCDA matching funds should they successfully raise $5,000 through Patronicity. IHCDA will provide matching grant funds up to $50,000 per project.
