Creativity wins!

NEA grant will support young artists

Great news!

COMPAS has been approved for a $20,000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support our Emerging Young Artists (EYA) program. COMPAS’ EYA project is among 1,130 projects across the country, totaling more than $31 million, that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2023 funding. The grant is also part of the $4,253,312 that the NEA awarded to Minnesota organizations.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects, including COMPAS’ Emerging Young Artists initiative demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These organizations play an important role in advancing the creative vitality of our nation and helping to ensure that all people can benefit from arts, culture, and design.”

“COMPAS is thrilled to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Dawne Brown White, COMPAS executive director. “Research says that when students regularly engage in acts of creativity, their mental health and wellness improve, as does their academic performance. It’s critically important to support the best-in-class efforts of Minnesota’s teachers by providing resources that supplement their work, like the Emerging Young Artists (EYA) program. This grant will enable COMPAS to continue providing EYA to our valued partners in Minnesota’s education community.”

Recap of the 2023 Emerging Young Artists award show and gallery exhibition launch

About Emerging Young Artists (EYA)

COMPAS EYA launched in 2022 with a pilot offering of the juried art show. The first stage of the program (EYA - Saint Paul) has focused on serving Saint Paul by offering opportunities for young visual artists in the Saint Paul metro region. It’s funded in part by the City of Saint Paul and the STAR program, which is committed to providing equitable arts experiences for all students in Saint Paul. This program is the legacy of the Les Farrington Best 100 Juried Art Show, which was previously administered by JCI Saint Paul, also known as Saint Paul Jaycees.

Future phases of the EYA program will expand the show to include all areas of the Twin Cities, in the process creating a competitive and enriching experience where students across the metro can show off their creative talents and earn awards and recognition.

EYA - Saint Paul owes its legacy to the Les Farrington Best 100 Juried Art Show. From its inception in 1957 until 2019, the Best 100 Juried Art Show was an annual gallery exhibition showcasing the talent of young Saint Paul artists. Although the JCI Saint Paul chapter closed operations in 2020, the Saint Paul Jaycees Charitable Foundation, which was the funder for many of JCI Saint Paul’s larger community events, continues to operate and will serve as the legacy sponsor of the new COMPAS program.

About COMPAS

COMPAS (compas.org) is a nonprofit arts education organization with almost 50 years of experience delivering dynamic and engaging creative experiences in communities across Minnesota. COMPAS connects professional Teaching Artists with students, teachers, older adults, hospital patients, teens, and community members to spark their imaginations and infuse their lives with creativity. Minnesota thrives when all of us have access to creative opportunities, and the arts empower people of all ages to tell their stories and amplify their unique voices.

Programs range from 1-hour performances to weeks-long arts residencies to youth mentorships to exhibits and publications.100+ teaching artists are on the COMPAS roster. They hail from diverse cultural backgrounds, representing over 40 ethnicities and races, and lead programs in a range of visual, literary, musical & performing art genres. When they aren’t teaching, they perform on local, national, and international stages, exhibit in galleries, and have works published. Many have won awards.

COMPAS programs are run in partnership with other organizations: K-12 schools; youth organizations; human service organizations; programs for older adults; community centers; etc. While COMPAS engages any community, it prioritizes its education work with under-resourced communities. This includes schools where over 90% of students qualify for subsidized lunches; schools catering to students with a disability; organizations that support youth facing homelessness; etc.

COMPAS’ experience as a trusted partner and an innovator in creative, art-filled learning for a diversity of people has been recognized with citations for teaching artistry excellence by the Presidential Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Minnesota Department of Education, and others. COMPAS was founded in 1968 and incorporated in 1974.

About the Saint Paul Jaycees Charitable Foundation

For 91 years, JCI Saint Paul (jcistpaul.org) (formerly called the Saint Paul Jaycees) proudly provided leadership development opportunities for young professionals to create positive change in the Saint Paul community. Due to declining membership numbers, the JCI Saint Paul chapter closed operations on August 31, 2020. The Saint Paul Jaycees Charitable Foundation, which was the funder for many of JCI Saint Paul’s larger community events, continues to operate and is committed to supporting the City of Saint Paul’s residents, businesses, and visitors now and into the future.