Funded Mar 29, 2011The universe was working with us. I say this because, it was only a month after receiving the gallery walls that the The Art Rock Star Traveling Art Trips Scholarship program began to systematically fall into place. First, our school received an out of the blue invitation to display our students' work in the beautiful lobby of one of the largest hospitals in the city. So, we got our first opportunity to become a traveling show and advocate the arts and our schools arts program.
Secondly, It turned out to be more than a one-day display opportunity. The director of the hospital helped our school organize and host a weekend auction and sale of the students' work in the show. Prior to this, in anticipation of the gallery walls arriving, and not even knowing if we would have a venue this school year, my students and I decided that we would create work anyway, in anticipation for what would come. Hence, if you build it they would come.
And they did come, from word of mouth, from the emails that the hospital directors circulated to its staff, its clients, its stakeholders, and and overall community, They came. And with them came a curiosity and the opportunity for me and my students to sell them on the power and importance of the arts to motivate children to strive for excellence, to push the envelope on the completion of a task, to give more than just enough to shut the teacher up. They did come, and I do believe that they left with that same spirit that you had after you came to DonorsChoose.org, and out of curiosity right clicked on the Art Rock Star Traveling Arts Trip program, read about the need of this little red headed teacher from the south and her inner city school students and said to yourselves: "Yeah, I believe in this program and I want to help make this happen for that teacher and her students." And you did make it happen, and as a result of your generosity towards our program, the visitors to our first traveling show made it happen. Through the sales of our students artwork (and some of my own) our art program was able to raise enough money to give two week art summer camp scholarships to three very happy students (I mean so happy they were on the verge of practically doing a couple of back flips).
Your gifts created one heck of a snowball effect in my student's lives. Thank you so much. And keep those balls rolling ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Franklin