Why It Matters

At Art for the Heart, we believe that all children deserve to have access to art supplies. In additional to being simply delightful, engaging with different materials and creating art involve processes that are fundamental to childhood development. Having the tools to do art is essential for the next generation to grow up healthy and happy, and to reach their full potential. Join us in helping make art accessible to all!

Art is Therapeutic

Doing art helps kids to:

Relax
Gain a sense of control over their feelings and their world
Express their feelings and emotions, allowing them to communicate their innermost selves
Reduce anxiety and depression
Experience joy and playfulness
Connect with others as they produce and talk about their art
Be inventive
Increase self-esteem and a sense of individuality

Art Is Educational

Doing art helps kids to learn:

Motor skills -- as children grasp crayons, markers, and scissors, those skills will later translate into life skills such as tying shoes, buttoning clothes, and learning to write
Math skills, as children learn about shapes, sizes, counting, and comparing objects
Visual-spatial skills
Planning and decision-making
Cause and effect
Language skills as children talk with others about their art

Art Boosts Achievement

Participation in the arts leads to:

Lower high school dropout rates among children with low socioeconomic status
Being twice as likely to graduate from college among students from low-income backgrounds
Higher GPAs, better test scores, and greater rate of college attendance for all children