Arts@Large: A vibrant community gem!

 Arts aArts @ Large is a gem comgem of a community programmunity program quietly tuckedquietly tucked away theaway in the Walker’s PointWalker’s Point neighborhood, inneighborhood, in an Patrickan historic Patrick Cudahy structureCudahy structure that inthat was built in 1890. 

Newly renovated, Arts @ Large is located in the building that contains a art gallery, café and office/Studio spaces that includes conference rooms, training center, and office space for nonprofit organizations. 

Symphony Swan, whose name strikes an artistic chord, is the Senior Director of Programs at Arts @ Large. 

The Arts @ Large staff boasts a slate of team members whose backgrounds as artists and educators serve students and participants well as they pursue equitable access to the arts. 

Arts @ Large provides a variety of FREE programs that give students, teachers, and the community opportunities to interact with and explore visual, performing, literary, and multimedia art. 

Designed to meet the needs of individuals of every age and ability, participants use a variety of art forms to express themselves and share their individual stories, while examining ways to make the community an inclusive, arts-rich place to live. 

Phillip Salat, Program Manager at Arts @ Large works as a conduit between clients and artists. 

He enjoys his role of connecting directly with artists while serving the needs of potential students and the arts community. 

“This is a dream job. I previously worked as a talent agent in Chicago, then had an opportunity to be an educator. 

Working at Arts @ Large, I have a unique opportunity to merge my experiences into one career, working with the artists and developing educational programming,” said Salat. 

Unique to the Arts @ Large is that corporate and government collaborations enable them to provide all their programming at no cost to the community. 

“Our programming is free to the community and, at the same time, we fairly compensate every artist who leads a program. 

“We have an ‘artist-first’ mentality in that we always ask and pay artists their standard fee for their time. 

“This allows artists to pour into the people more freely while being compensated for their time,” said Salat. 

At least two instructional designers on staff with Arts @ Large regularly visit schools that have artists placed there in residencies. 

They support classroom teachers and artists with curriculum design and other arts integration strategies. 

A.I.R Academy, an Artists In Residents free Summer Camp, was created for third through eighth graders. It is a five-week, interdisciplinary, youth-focused program. 

A.I.R Academy has the capacity for 40 students each session. Students attend the camp from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and work with lead artists developing and honing their interests in various artistic disciplines. 

This year’s Arts @ Large Arts summer camp centers will collaborate with a professional musician and his team to provide in depth experiences in different art forms. 

Participants will explore how a variety of art forms can serve as a bridge between conflict and resolution. 

The Arts @ Large program provides an opportunity to encourage self-respect, respect of differences, and how art can be a tool for social responsibility, while also providing skills and processes that help peacefully manage conflicts and create innovative solutions to social challenges. 

“We encourage all students to find creativity in whatever they aspire to do—whether it is in science, history, or English. Through creativity you can see the beauty in the world around us,” said Salat. 

For more information or to download a copy of events and programs, visit www.artsatlargeinc.org/, visit at 1100 South 5th Street, or call (414)763-7379.