Art Buddies

The mission of Art Buddies is to bring the power of one-to-one creative mentoring to twin cities children from high need schools and communities. Art Buddies helps children connect the child with their self and their community, to give them agency over their artistry and ideas, to inspire creative expression and sense of personal agency, and to help the child build a strong sense of creative confidence. Art Buddies annually pairs 200 creative mentors, one-to-one with 200 twin cities public school kids (ages 8-11). Each program features 8-10 weekly workshops. Mentors also help the kids develop writing, project planning and storytelling skills by creating a special journal of their Art Buddies experience called a buddy book. At the end of each program, the kids become "stars" posing with their creations and mentors for portraits by professional photographers. The children celebrate their accomplishments with a parade and presentation for schoolmates, teachers, family and friends. The art