Partner Spotlight: Arts @ Large

Arts @ Large Artmaking at Anna F. Doerfler School

We have awesome partners who help support our mission.

We wanted to shine the spotlight this month on local non-profit, Arts @ Large.

Learn a little about them below and find out what song they can’t stop listening to:

Hi, what is your name, title, and who are you representing?

I'm Teri Sullivan, C-Founder & CEO of Arts @ Large

Teri Sullivan, center, at Planting Day in Paliafito Eco-Arts Park with students from Escuela Vieau

What's one song you can't stop listening to?

"You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To." My husband of 34 years introduced this song to me a year before we were married. It's been our song ever since, and now, Arts @ Large can adopt it as well, because our new community center will sure be nice to come home to!

What are you most passionate about in regards to what is happening in our community and what Arts @ Large is doing for the community?

I'm most passionate about the way our organization works directly with youth, teachers, and the local artist community to bring attention to issues of social justice and environmental responsibility. It's about using the arts as a vehicle to tell dynamic stories - stories that change the way communities function and people relate to one another.

What are we doing in the community? The license plates on the Arts @ Large van proclaim a message of "ART 4 ALL" - and our mission boils down to just that! We believe that every child in Milwaukee deserves an arts-rich education, and we work hard to expand access to the arts through dynamic programming, both in and out of school.

We want to transform the way that teachers teach, and students learn, and we do that by integrating the arts across all academic content areas to create vibrant learning environments. Now in our 17th year of service, the work of Arts @ Large has expanded to serve not only students, but also their families, teachers, artist educators, and the broader community. In the 2016-17 school year, the impact numbers speak for themselves; 11,900 students in 48 schools, 4,000+ community members through public arts events, hosted professional development trainings for 793 teachers and artists, and employed 79 local artist educators for a total of 131 residencies.

We want to push the boundaries - and designing arts-rich, life-long learning experiences that go beyond education, and beyond expectations.When you put arts in the hands of students and teachers, guided by our incredible artist community, it becomes such an amazing tool to instruct, inspire, and ultimately, impact society.

Arts @ Large Plein Air Painting Workshops bring the arts alive outdoors

How did Arts @ Large get started and what is in store for the year ahead?

In May of 2016, we embarked on our greatest adventure yet - the purchase and renovation of a historic 1890's Patrick Cudahy building at the southernmost end of 5th Street - Walker's Point's Creative Corridor. This new home will provide a permanent gathering space for artists, teachers, students, and the broader community, and build upon our reputation as a vibrant community and education center. Our re-development ethic focuses on preserving the historic integrity of the building to include; 1st floor: A Gallery for showcasing student exhibitions and performances, a Multi-Generational Art Making Center, a Culinary Arts Training Center and Café, serving as an internship pipeline for Milwaukee Public Schools students, and a Public Event Space. 2nd floor: A Teacher and Artist Educator Professional Development HUB that activates participation in a professional learning community, a Hands-On Art Studio, Emerging Non-Profit Organization Incubator Studios, and a Public Event Space. 3rd floor: Arts @ Large Staff Offices and Board Conference Room, a Private or Small Group Multi-Arts Instruction Studio, and Non-Profit Organization Incubator Studios.

This fall we will celebrate the public "construction kick-off" at the site - with a projected grand opening of fall 2018. When we first started, we used our cars as offices and here we are now, renovating this historic building. It's been quite a wild ride!

Watch a video describing the building project HERE.

Arts @Large exterior rendering of the new building on 5th Street in Walker's Point

Why do you choose to support 88Nine?

88Nine and Arts @ Large were both created by the Milwaukee Public Schools. Since the beginning, we've been partners in an effort to serve our community through the arts. We applaud 88Nine's commitment to building community, specifically their efforts to champion the arts economy by supporting local artists and highlighting Milwaukee talent. It is our shared mission to see our local arts community thrive - creating pipelines for employment, and equitable opportunities for ALL Milwaukee students and adults. Onward!