COLLABORATIONS & PARTNERSHIPS

As part of our mission to Inspire Meaningful Change and Strengthen Community through Visual Arts, KAC is committed to working with organizations and individuals to provide arts resources throughout Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties.

 

Below is a list of current outreach programs KAC is proud to partner with. If you are interested in participating or a partnership to further this mission, email Director of Education Nathan Margoni at nmargoni@krasl.org.

To learn more about these programs, click on the links below:


Art Angels

In partnership with Spectrum Health Lakeland’s Pediatrics Unit, Art Angels provides individual hands-on art activities with residents for 2 hours a week at  Pine Ridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.


Art Experience School Tours

This long-standing program provides 90-minute experiences that include a 45-minute gallery tour with a trained volunteer docent and a 45-minute hands-on art activity. Scholarships are available for these tours to schools, as well as transportation vouchers. 

Learn more about tours by clicking here, and apply for a scholarship by emailing KAC’s School & Community Programs Coordinator Dani Davis at ddavis@krasl.org.


Art Fundles 

Art Fundles (fun + bundles) are free make-and-take art packets offered by KAC. Art Fundles are given out at KAC, Benton Harbor Public Library, and other partner organizations. These are created and distributed based on need and request. 

To discover where Art Fundles are distributed this month or to submit your need via email, contact Dani Davis at ddavis@krasl.org with the subject line “Fundle Request.”


Art & Wellness Pop-Up

In collaboration with Spectrum Health Lakeland’s Population Health Department, KAC developed a traveling Art & Wellness Pop-Up based on the Trauma Resource Institute’s Community Resilience Model (CRM) ® that helps address the behavioral health challenges faced by the community. 

This program aims to increase understanding of mental health, destigmatize mental illness, introduce the concept of resilience, and invite community members to participate in hands-on, arts-based activities that provide opportunities to practice and build resiliency skills. The Pop-Up travels from local libraries, learning centers, and medical facilities to provide the experience to the widest audience possible. Discover where the pop-up currently lives by following KAC on social media (Instagram | Facebook).


ArtPlay Workshops

ArtPlay Workshops are offered by the Berrien County Cancer Service for children and families whose lives have been impacted by cancer. These workshops are at no cost to families who live in Berrien County & take place monthly at KAC.*

To learn more about these workshops, contact Nancy Church at nchurch@bccancerservice.org.


Benton Harbor’s Boys and Girls Club – Teen Center

This offsite program, launched in the Summer of 2019, provides hour-long hands-on art lessons including drawing, painting, animation, and graphic design led by KAC Teaching Artist, Jessica Hightower. These take place every other Monday all year long.


Family Days & Nights at KAC

Free monthly art activities on the 2nd Saturday of every month are led by KAC Teaching Artist, Dani Davis, with fun for the whole family! Registration is required. Learn more by clicking here.  


Individual Scholarships

Scholarships are available at partial or full-tuition rates for youth and adult students enrolled in 8 or 12-week studio classes. 

These are given out on a request basis. Submit your request online by clicking here or at KAC’s facility during public hours


MI-APPP

This is the newest program underneath the Art Angels umbrella. This is in partnership with the Berrien County Health Department’s Michigan Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program (MI-APPP) which engages expectant and parenting teens, young fathers, and their families in a system of care through support programs. 

Young parents and their children participate in art therapy lessons weekly, led by KAC Art Therapist, Erica Holden. These six-week sessions provide projects with a focus on resiliency and utilize the Trauma Resource Institute’s Community Resiliency Model (CRM)


Community Student Art Exhibitions

KAC’s partnership program with Box Factory for the Arts and Berrien Regional Education Services Agency (RESA) provides Elementary and Middle/High School students with the opportunity to exhibit their artwork professionally at the Box Factory for the Arts. The annual exhibition takes place every March and April.


Teen Arts Council (TAC)

Did you know Krasl Art Center has our very own Teen Arts Council? The TAC has been regularly meeting to build a community of young artists, ages 13-19, interested in pursuing art beyond what is available at school. Meetings have covered everything from college prep, writing workshops, skill building, art making, and more!