Access Arts collaborates with other organizations and schools serving special needs populations to provide diverse learning opportunities in the arts for the underserved and at-risk in our community.  Here are some examples of what we do:

Partners in Art:  Benton Elementary School
is a collaborative project bringing all 258 Benton school children (grades K-5) to Access Arts for pottery lessons.  This collaboration has been going on for 15 years.  Benton's student body is approximately 60% low-income according to recent census information.

Fun City Youth Academy Art Classes
Fun City serves a diverse population of at-risk youth.  Our collaboration with them benefits approximately 60 children annually and has been ongoing for 23 years.  We provide two six-week art classes at Access Arts and at Douglass High School for low-income, minority children from the city’s lower-first ward.  The project culminates with an art sale fundraiser in which the children sell selected artwork made in the classes to raise money for the Fun City program.  This program allows at-risk youth to create art, experience the value of their efforts and develop self-worth by seeing people appreciate their artwork, all while they are giving back to the Fun City program.

Islamic School of Columbia Missouri
serves an ethnically diverse audience and is our newest collaborative partner in art.  Since 2006, all students (approx. 35 children K-5) come to Access Arts studios for pottery lessons each spring.  These schools are not equipped with studios for pottery, so our organization is able to enhance their arts curriculum and ensure these children have the same access to the arts as other school children.

Exhibit at MU Ellis Library
Access Arts has had an exhibit at Ellis Library for the past three years, featuring student and instructor work.  It has been one of our best received presentations with requests to extend it an extra month in the past.  Our next exhibit is scheduled for January 2010.