Arts Access

Creative Adventures at Caponi Art Park was created to overcome barriers that prevent our targeted audience from visiting the park for arts programming. The 2012 program exceeded our goals by serving over 1,100 youth from 14 organizations including community resource centers (Neighborhood House, Transition Plus, Northfield Healthy Communities Initiatives) school-based programs (District 196 Young Scholars, Rahn Elementary Arts and Technology Magnet, HeadStart) homeless shelters (Cornerstone, Lewis House) and programs for new immigrants, English as a Second Language students, and foster families. All partners were interested in further enrichment opportunities at Caponi Art Park. We also noted return visits from participating youth who brought family to the park. Our targeted group for the project was low-income and at-risk youths in Dakota County and the south metro who are in supervised activities with limited enrichment programs and field trips due to the lack of funding. This group was selected based on conversations with youth program providers about their barriers to attending arts programming at Caponi Art Park, and stems from our strategic goal of increasing community outreach and expanding youth programming. Relationships were built by identifying and connecting with organizations that serve the targeted population in Dakota County. 2: Organizations that serve our target population were able to bring over 1,100 underserved youth to the park who have had limited access to arts programming. Without Creative Adventures' financial support, these 14 groups would not have been able to engage in quality arts programming. Organizations that serve our target population face real financial and transportation barriers in scheduling trips to Caponi Art Park and participating in the activities. Perceived barriers included perceptions that art is not designed for children. Our existing partners and others that serve our target population expressed their desire to engage more deeply with the Art Park, but were prevented by these barriers. The strategies designed to address these barriers included providing arts programming free of charge and up to $250 per organization for transportation costs to organizations serving our targeted population. Tour docents also encouraged discussion, imagination, and touch to engage participants. All strategies were successful.