Community Foundation grant to help fund Artists in Residence at county schools

Polk County Schools has been awarded a grant by the Polk County Community Foundation to help establish an Artists in Residence program at every school in the district.

Through the Don and Peggy Lyons Fund at the Polk County Community Foundation, the school district received $44,200, which will be used to fund the district’s “Let’s Dream It” initiative, a community arts outreach project that showcases Artists in Residence and fosters creativity in students.

“We will bring in artists that will demonstrate their own brand of personal expression through a wide range of technical skills, cultural backgrounds and personal experiences,” said Cynthia Riddle, who coordinates arts partnerships for the district. “Students will be instructed in ways to utilize the technology and materials around them to better express themselves and communicate their thoughts.

“The opportunities provided by this grant will cultivate a diverse environment through a deeper understanding of artistic processes and the art itself. We seek to encourage students, along with the home and community, to be creators, consumers and lifelong supporters of the arts. We are thankful to the Polk County Community Foundation for this generous funding and their ongoing support of the arts.”

The school district hopes to establish a program of visiting artists in residence in all arts disciplines and every grade level to fully integrate the arts throughout our schools. The district was recently selected as a member of the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and plans to leverage that relationship to help create its Artists in Residence program with an approach to foster innovation, collaboration and creativity.

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