Arts for Learning

2014-2015
Annual Report

Adaptation and flexibility are essential to the growth

of any business, but they are particularly important for
nonprofits like Arts for Learning, who serve the
ever-changing field of education. At the same time,
change can be risky, especially involving tried and true
programs, programs that have been part of the
organizations history, identity, and brand.
During the 2013-2014 school year, Arts for Learning
underwent many adaptations and changes, leading to
the growth of several programs. Some changes were
no-brainers, like the expansion of our early childhood
program to serve infants and toddlers. Others carried
more risk, like our decision to completely overhaul our
summer programming. All of these changes involved
robust community partnerships which, with the
support of donors like you, maximized the impact on
the children we serve.
We invite you to explore a glimpse of that impact in
this annual report. For a more detailed report, please
visit our website at artsforlearningindiana.org. On
behalf of the children, educators, and teaching artists
we serve, thank you for making our work possible.

JoEllen Florio Rossebo

President & CEO
Arts for Learning

Arts for Learning reached 60,186

students in 137 schools across the
state last year. With your support,
2,237 programs were provided in
classrooms, community centers,
juvenile detention centers, and
hospitals across the state.

Income

Grant Support 53%

Program Earned Revenue 20%
Other Revenue 14%
Corporate & Individual Contributions 8%
Fundraising Event Support 3%
In-Kind Contributions 2%

Expenses

Programming 72%
Administration 15%
Fundraising &
Promotion 13%

Early Childhood Programs

The workshop begins as teaching artist Melissa Gallant enters the classroom. She
wheels in front of her a mysterious object, more than five feet tall and covered. Each of
the children in the classroom is instructed to sit on their color wheels, and watch as
Melissa slowly unpacks her things. She uncovers this mysterious object, and the children
are encouraged to ask questions as she begins to play the harp softly.
Not only does music make things easier to grasp for children, it can also draw their
attention from what theyre focused on to what the teacher wants them to focus on, said
Head Start teacher Caroline Farmer.
This is just day one of a three-day series of workshops called, Harp Songs and Stories.
The residency is one among many of the programs that Arts for Learning offers to
preschool age children. Melissas residency uses music and storytelling to promote early
childhood development, in areas like social skills, fine motor skills, language and literacy. It
is also part of a unique Arts for Learning early childhood initiative called The Lullaby
Program that specifically targets infants and toddlers ages six months to just under 3
years.
Using the harp to provide the soundtrack, Melissa reads books to the children, bringing
to life elements of the story through real life objects. Throughout the workshop, small
instruments are distributed to the children and they are encouraged to play along with
Melissa.
Melissas program shows children that music comes from more than just a CD, said
Caroline, And even more that there are people who create music and they can create it as
well.

Arts for Summer Learning

Did you know that, according to the Center for Summer Learning, more than
half the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income students can be
attributed to unequal access to summer learning opportunities? As a result,
low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college.
This summer, four school teachers paired with Arts for Learning teaching
artists to provide an arts-enriched literacy program to 93 inner-city youth at La
Plaza and AYS through Arts for Summer Learning. The program sought to help
students improve their reading and comprehension skills by teaching them new
and exciting ways to understand literature.
Through a combination of classroom time, interactive workshops, and
engaging performances, students embarked on a two-week long journey
through The Story of the Three Little Pigs. Interactive workshops in
photography, music, theater, and dance engaged students in alternative
methods of learning about the literary elements of a story, such as plot, setting,
conflict, theme, and characterization. Students also saw performances from
poet Tony Styxx, Latin dancer Faten Munger, musicians Everett and Martin, and
theatre troupe Adzooks Puppets.
By the programs end, approximately 70 percent of the students had
improved their reading and comprehension skills.

Murals

Arts for Learning teaching artist Holly Combs Street Art: Respect through Art residency teaches
children the difference between public art and vandalism or graffiti, as they engage in discussion about
the importance of respecting public spaces within their own community. Holly and her husband visited
several schools this year, working with children of all ages to create a unique work of art that will be
present in their school for years to come.
As a street artist, what sparked Hollys passion for these projects was Chicago-based artist and
designer Matthew Hoffmans You are Beautiful movement. The movement began with 100 stickers that
read You are Beautiful, and has now spread its reach globally.
Students at Eastern Pulaski Elementary School in Winamac collaborated with Holly this year to create
their own You are Beautiful mural. She worked with each of the students to help them to create an 8
by 10 self-portrait, highlighting the qualities that they like most about themselves. The message was,
you are perfect as you are, and each of the students engaged in discussions about issues of self-image,
confidence, and self-esteem.
[Holly] really brought out the talents in the kids. She made a connection with each of themthey
shared really deep things with her, said Eastern Pulaski Elementary art teacher Lynn Darda. There was
one boy in fifth grade, and he talked about how he didnt really like his body. He said, Im so big and
people always think Im older than I am and I dont really like it. Holly just talked about owning whatever
is special about you, and that boy even commenting on how she inspired him.
Every single one of the students and teachers created a self-portrait, which Holly arranged to create a
wall installation forming the words, You are Beautiful. When it was finished, Eastern Pulaski Elementary
Principal Jill Collins invited each of the kids to come and admire their work on the last day of school in a
public unveiling of the mural. The creator of the movement, Matthew Hoffman, personally attended the
event to tell them how proud he was of their work.
"I was so excited when our class was called down to see the mural for the first time, said one fifth
grade student. It will be such an honor to come back and see my art on display when I am older."

ArtForce

This summer, Arts for Learning launched a program in partnership with Ivy Tech
Community College to introduce 13 high school students from all over the state of
Indiana to the arts and arts education as a potential collegiate and career path. The
theme was Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce, with each student creating their own
work of art using repurposed materials donated by local businesses. Under the
guidance of teaching artist Laura Friesen, they learned how to make paper, and
they experienced performances from storyteller Deborah Asante, dancer Faten
Munger, puppet artists Adzooks Puppets and the band Naptown Jazz 5. Every
evening my daughter came home with a lot to talk about. I got the impression that
she was totally engaged and excited about each day, one mother said of her
daughters participation in the program. She likes being a positive role model and
was enthused about working with her younger peers.
In the first week, students were given the opportunity to learn from Arts for
Learning professional teaching artists, and in the second week, they worked in pairs
to create and implement their own workshop with AYS campers. Arts for Learning
enlisted the help of three students from Ivy Tech to serve as college mentors and
provide support to the high school teens throughout the process. Each group was
given the opportunity to teach their workshop twice, with time to reflect upon and
improve it. My partner and I made a great team! With both of our creativity skills,
we took what we learned from our experience with the first group of kids and made
it more interesting for the second group, said one Artforce student. It was our job
to make sure that they had a fun, creative and educational experience, and my partner was a great supporter throughout every aspect.

Individual Donors
$2,500 and Above
Jim and Sara Lootens
Bill and Carolyn Neale
Michael and Susan Porter
N. Clay Robbins and Amy McConkey Robbins

Robert Sabol
Jane and Fred Schlegel
Joan Schneider
Jerry D. and Rosemary R. Semler
Molly and Joe Shane
Michael and Linda Share
William and Cynthia Smith
Reed K. Steele
Ms. Patricia A. Stevens
Anne S. Throop
Mary Anne Winslow
Angela and Derek Yetter

$1,000 - $2,499
Anonymous
John and Jessica Barth
Joseph Chapelle
Mr. and Mrs. John Fazli
Earl Harris 15 Year
Charitable Lead Annuity Trust
Todd and Denise Holder
Mrs. Rose Kelly-Falls and Mr. Steve Falls
Cliona Kennedy and Patrick Meyers
Ms. Susan Blackwell May
Alice and Kirk McKinney Family Fund of the
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Mrs. Ina Mohlman
Linda and Don Neel
JoEllen Florio Rossebo
Kathy and John Sharpe
Betty and Alan Stanford
Cheryl and Jim Strain
Jeff and Colleen Webster
Anna S. and James P. White
$500 - $999
Bob and Pat Anker
Kate and Dan Appel
Bob and Tish Brafford
Griffith Family Foundation
Roy and Mary Cage Young Audiences of
Indiana Endowment Fund of Legacy Fund
Mr. Anson Keller
Michael O'Brien and Jackie Nytes
Travis DiNicola
Smith Family Fund
Joan FitzGibbon
Geneva Taylor
Richard E. Ford (deceased)
Larry and Angela Tomlin
Jim and Sally Friend
Emily A. West
Joan and Bill Gardiner
$250 - $499
Frances Gray and Warren Jones
Anonymous
Joli and Matt Heavin
Jamey and Sara Aebersold
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Hollett
Desma and Matt Belsaas
Mr. and Mrs. W. Seymour Holt
Pamela J. Bennett
Andrea Lee Hoogwerf
James and Carol Campbell
David and Melli Hoppe
Deborah Christie
John and Liz Jenkins
Joe and Marcia Erne
Laura Jean King
Kenneth and Krisztina Inskeep
Ned and Martha Lamkin
Timothy Murphy
Dr. and Mrs. Jon E. Lewis
Peggy and Byron Myers
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Ash
Alice and Bob Schloss
Karen Lindig
Bill Scott
Donald and Christine Lundberg
Sandy Cha Sifferlen and Mark Sifferlen
Kristen and Doran Moreland
Brian Watson
Jane and Andrew Paine
Glenn and Susan Pratt
$100 - $249
Maureen and John Purcell
Anonymous (3)
Jean and Lamar Richcreek
Lisa Beiter
David and Kathie Riley
Donald and Carla Bennett
Mark and Nancy Ruschman
John C. Bloom
Mindy and Charlie Schlegel
Clayton and Pauletta Brewer
Robert Seelbach and Beth Koenen-Seelbach
John and Catherine Bridge
Heather McPherson and Malcolm W. Smith
Nancy Christy
Cassandra Thomas
Don and Dolly Craft
Gary Thompson and Leigh Harris
David Chalfie and Mark Demerly
Ann and Mark Varnau
Mr. and Mrs. Fred W. Dennerline
Gretchen Wolfram
Mary O. and Stephen E. DeVoe
Sally and Mark Zelonis

Tribute Gifts
In honor of JoEllen Florio Rossebo by Sarah Barney
In Honor of Rev. Yung Chen by anonymous
In honor of Susan May by Judith A. Culpepper
In honor of Susan May by Philomena Dias
In memory of Alice McKinney by Mahi and Jerry Hiatt
In memory of Alice McKinney by Nora and Tom Hiatt
In memory of Bill Griffin by Myrna Gray
In memory of Bob Welch by Patti Richey
In memory of Dee Garrett by David Garrett
In memory of Dee Garrett by Jane and Fred Schlegel
In memory of Michael Griffin by Jim and Cheryl Strain
In memory of Michael Griffin by Patricia Griffin

Cheryl Strain Professional Development

Fund
In 2014, after more than 30 years of service,
Cheryl Strain retired from the Arts for
Learning Board of Directors. This fund was
established in her honor to provide
professional development opportunities for
members of the board, staff, and artist roster.

$50 - $99
David Andrichik
Suzanne Beard
James Beaudry
Don and Ginger Bievenour
Gay Burkhart
Claudette and Larry Einhorn
Elsa T. Falls
Mary Ann Forseth
Mr. Steven M. Giovangelo and
Mr. Gerald J. Bedard
Mrs. Janet Guest
Phil and Victoria Gutwein
Dick and Sheryl Hamstra
David Hochoy
Jo An Hudson Robertson
Dr. and Mrs. John E. Kalsbeck
Gerry and Sue LaFollette
Joan and Jordan Leibman
Joan Moore Mernitz
Tim Monnie
Judith B. Murphy
Anne M. Neitzke
Allen Pekar
Katie Welch Rarick and Aaron Rarick
Mike and Mary Rice
Justin and Lali Roebel
Randy and Mary Rogers

Anonymous
Sarah Barney
Frank and Katrina Basile
Suzanne Beard
Jonathan and Judy Birge
Mr. J. B. Bowen
Bob and Tish Brafford
Nancy Christy
William B. Clark
Mike and Pat Cracraft
Carole and Richard Darst
Claudette and Larry Einhorn
Mr. and Mrs. John Fazli
Joan and Bill Gardiner
Tom and Jenny Godby
Will Gould
Dick and Sheryl Hamstra
David and Melli Hoppe
Sharon B. Hunt
Jim and Pat LaCrosse
Ned and Martha Lamkin
Jim and Sara Lootens
Suzanne B. and Michael R. Maine
Joan Moore Mernitz
Mr. Nathan W. Pearson
Sandy and Bob Reiberg
Ken and Debra Renkens
Rick and Connie Richmond
Pat G. Rooney
JoEllen Florio Rossebo
Ms. Ginger Sager
Molly and Joe Shane

Kathy and John Sharpe

Joyce Sommers and Bob Davis
Ann M. Stack Fund of the Central Indiana
Community Foundation
Betty and Alan Stanford
Ann and Mark Varnau
L. Alan and Elizabeth Whale
In-Kind Gifts
Abbott's Also Candy Stores
Confection Delights
Endangered Species Chocolate Company
Fancy Fortune Cookies
Fine Arts Society of Indianapolis
Greenfield Chocolates
Indiana Landmarks
Indianapolis Business Journal
Just Pop In!
Kroger
Monarch Beverage Co., Inc.
Nuvo's Music Forum
Printing Partners
Schakolad Chocolate Factory
Scotty's Brewhouse
Sugar
Sun King Brewing Co.
The Best Chocolate in Town
The Chef's Academy
WFYI
Event Sponsors
Chocolate Fest
Distinct Images
DoIt Indy
Everhart Studio
Fine Arts Society
Indiana Business Journal
Lumina Foundation for Education
National Bank of Indianapolis
Nuvo
Printing Partners
WFYI
Wolfrum Capital Management Group, Inc.
Leap into Art
Barefoot Wine
Cash & Carry Paper
Eskenazi Health
First Person
Goelzer Investment Management
Gregory & Appel
Hylant Group
Michael & Angela McNelis
Ogletree Deakins
Printing Partners
Sun King Brewing Co.
US Foods
Well Done Marketing
Corporate and Foundation Donors
$100,000 and above
Lilly Endowment Inc.
$50,000 - $99,999
Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation
F.R. Hensel Fund for the Fine Arts, Music, and Education and
The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF Affiliate

$10,000 - $49,999
Arts Council of Indianapolis
Christel DeHaan Family Foundation
The City of Noblesville Fund, the Sheridan
Fund, and Legacy Fund Community
Foundation, a CICF affiliate
The Indiana Arts Commission and
the National Endowment for the Arts,
a federal agency
PNC Foundation
Young Audiences, Inc.
$5,000 - $9,999
Blue River Community Foundation
ExactTarget Foundation
Hendricks County Community Foundation
Deedee Daniel Opportunity Fund
The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF
affiliate
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr., Memorial
Foundation, Inc.
Pacers Foundation, Inc.
$2,500 - $4,999
Arthur Jordan Foundation
Chubb Group of Insurance Companies
$1,000 - $2,499
CSX Transportation Foundation
Downtown Optimist Foundation
The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Family
Foundation
Indiana First Lady's Charitable Foundation
The Indiana Youth Institute
IUPUI Solution Center