Artsbank Fund
TYPE OF FUND: Agency Endowed DATE ESTABLISHED: October 2015
PURPOSE: Supporting art in the Randolph County school system(s), especially the elementary level.
DISTRIBUTION: Upon request by ArtsBank, Inc. and upon the recommendation by the Grants Committee and approval by the full Board of Directors of TCF. All distributions are to ArtsBank.
VARIANCE POWER: If, in the judgment of the TCF Board of Directors, the restrictions and conditions of the fund become unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community, the TCF Board of Directors maintains the right to modify the terms of this fund.
FUNDING: Initial funding of $10,000 to establish the fund donated by ArtsBank with additional funding coming from the donations of the general public.
BACKGROUND : Since 1992, ArtsBank has been serving the children of Randolph County with hands-on art experiences for students in every elementary school in the Elkins area. After art teachers were eliminated in 1988, concerned parents, artists and educators formed this group to support a short residency in each elementary school. This popular program brought multimedia experiences—such as drawing, painting, collage, drama, movement, creative writing, singing, pottery, printmaking and design—into the classroom. ArtsBank now has special programs for the middle and high school students as well.
2003-04 The Randolph County Board of Education hired a part-time art teacher to serve five area schools. For those schools in Randolph County not served by the art teacher, ArtsBank began offering an extended-term arts program in addition to the enrichment support program. These programs target underserved elementary schools in the county and both utilize practicing artists as instructors.
2012-13 ArtsBank initiated and developed a successful program in collaboration with The Mountain Institute (TMI) called “The Earth and the Arts”. In this program students spent three days and two nights studying, observing, and researching the West Virginia landscape at Spruce Knob with TMI staff and local scientists. ArtsBank teaching artists guided each student to enhance and document their research through writings and movement studies. Students created many forms of studio art (including keeping a journal) and learned to collaborate on ephemeral installation art in nature using natural objects.
2013-14 ArtsBank expanded its means of communicating its purpose and students’ achievements through building a website and Facebook. ArtsBank needs both volunteer and financial support to keep the energy and operations of this important county-wide program moving forward and expanding. Please consider attending or donating toward our largest fundraising event, the Annual ArtsBank Auction, held on the last Saturday in February. As an all-volunteer project, we find it impressive how generous the artists and community are in both donations and dollars for this event.