12/23/2021
Dear Friends,
This year was extremely eventful for Mister ArtSee and we have many people and organizations to thank.
Like so many, our previous year's inactivity due to the pandemic brought much anticipation and anxiety with the start of 2021. However, looking back over the past 12 months, it's been a marvelously rewarding time for our organization to contribute to the city's re-opening and the social/emotional well-being of children returning to schools. Below are a few examples of our achievements.
In March, City Harvest asked Mister ArtSee to participate with two incredible programs: Mobile Markets and Brighter Bites. By distributing over 20,000 art educational kits sharing the artistic approach of artist Robert Ryman (attached pdf) to families and children around NYC. Mister ArtSee was not only able to enhance and support these wonderful programs of City Harvest but, nourish young minds with creative activities and supplies. This over $400,000 in-kind donation was made possible through the generous support from an anonymous private donor and the Lawrence B, Benenson Foundation.
In June, Mister ArtSee was featured on NY1 when we visited PS 188 in Coney Island to host a series of art educational programs along with our partners, Counseling in Schools (CIS). Our time visiting with children and the projects CIS lead, were a huge success and not only resulted in being asked to return in 2022 for a longer period of time but, brought many new requests from other schools and communities. We will be continuing our partnership with Counseling in Schools and hope to expand our presentations to schools all across the region in 2022. We are grateful for the support from Counseling in Schools and our founder, Elliott Arkin, for their financial contributions for this activity.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=164106469100244
Finally, with the end of Summer and Fall, we were able to complete our first major renovations and refurbishments of the Mister ArtSee vehicle since its launch in 2009. After twelve years of advocating the arts and bringing art educational activities all around the country, Mister ArtSee was surely in need of repair and updating. Thanks to a magnanimous grant from the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, the Mister ArtSee vehicle now has new power steering and brakes, a brand-new engine and transmission, new lights, seats, windshields, refurbished platform, and new sleeker framework design with our celebrated, distinctive, expanding, projectable cover.
In early Spring, we look forward to unveiling Mister ArtSee 2.0, all spiffed-up and ready to continue our mission of being a national symbol and advocate for the arts and arts education around the country.
Thank you for your continued interest and support in our organization and we welcome all inquiries. At this time, we hope you might consider a tax-deductible year-end donation which will go a long way in helping so many.
To Donate, simply click on the "Donate Now" below or mail a check to:
Mister ArtSee
144 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11231
646-824-8300
SEASON'S GREETINGS FROM EVERYONE AT MISTER ARTSEE!
From: David Kener
To: Mister ArtSee
Sent: Tue, Nov 30, 2021 4:35 pm
Subject: Thank you
Dear Mister ArtSee,
As we begin this holiday season it's naturally time to look back on some highlights of this year that was so fraught with challenges.
Our collaboration with Mr. ArtSee has been a constant inspiration and a pleasant surprise. I say surprise in that wonderful way where you know it's gonna be good but ya never know how good!
Being in the schoolyard with our students and families in Coney Island over the summer, where Mr. ArtSee provided artistic and creative explorations, when the very act of being present in a school building was an act of bravery, is a warm and wonderful feeling I reflect on often.
As we launch our Measures of Hope initiative in 2022, where we celebrate the act of offering hope along with assessment techniques to measure this essential 'skill', I look forward to our continued work together.
Thank you as always,
David
David Kener
Director of Development
CIS-logo-proof4@05x (1).png
505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 12A-06
New York, New York 10018
