10/08/2026
Fifteen years ago, TheGifted Arts began with a simple belief: young people deserve spaces where their culture is honored, their voices are strengthened, and their gifts are developed with intention and care. 💜
On September 17, we were deeply honored to receive the 2026 Arts Champion Award – Organization from Arts Wake County at the Dorothea Dix Chapel.
We were especially grateful to celebrate alongside a dear friend of TGA, Andrea Hodgin Osborne, the 2026 Arts Champion – Individual, and a room full of artists, educators, advocates, partners, and community members who believe in the power of the arts.
From serving a small group of students in our earliest days to now reaching nearly 400 young people annually, this recognition reflects the work of an entire village.
To our GiftedArtists and alumni, families, Board, staff, teaching artists, donors, volunteers, advocates, allies, and partners:
This award belongs to you, too.
We receive this honor with gratitude and with responsibility.
To keep widening access.
To keep creating spaces where Black and Brown youth are seen, celebrated, challenged, and supported.
To keep developing the young person alongside the artist.
And to keep showing that the arts are not extra, but rather, they are a vehicle for confidence, belonging, leadership, healing, and transformation.
Thank you to United Arts Wake County for recognizing and investing in this work, and to the North Carolina Arts Council, Raleigh Arts, and our many community partners who continue investing in the arts and the young people we serve.
Understand. Embrace. Transcend.
We’re grateful for the journey so far, and excited for what comes next. 💜
