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Creating Art
and Opportunity
Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Report
Letter from the
Board President & Executive Director
While Arts on the Block has been offering programs since 2003, this is only our second full year
operating as an independent non-profit, and we are pleased to present our first annual report!
As was the case for so many nonprofits, the economic climate
over the past few years has provided significant challenges.
Thanks to sound fiscal management that includes a diversified
income stream, our fiscal 2011 revenues actually grew by 27%
over the previous year, from $166,233 to $211,052.
Through our signature “Pour Your ART Out” workshop, in fiscal
2011 we offered 40 high school students the opportunity to
expand their artistic horizons and added eight more commissions to our growing resume. In our Silver Spring neighborhoods
it’s hard to travel anywhere and not be within a stone’s throw of
an AOB commission.
Building on our successes, the organization grew in two new
and exciting ways:
• Carroll Avenue Quebec Terrace Public Art Project — took our
commitment to demonstrating how art benefits the quality
of life of to a new level. Installed colorful mosaics on two staircases at low-income housing community of 1500 residents.
• ARTpreneurs Workshop — also a natural outgrowth of our
mission, this program provided entrepreneurial skill training and artistic opportunities to an additional 12 “upcounty”
youth, where services for youth are especially needed.
AOB also has matured organizationally. Through a year-long alumni
survey, we have learned more about our successes and ways to
improve our offerings. Our Board of Directors has grown to include
many professionals dedicated to the idea that the talented artistic
youth in our area can develop their skills and talents to become
productive members of our community. Ten individuals directly
served the organization in paid capacities in FY2011, as well as a
full-time VISTA worker and numerous volunteers.
To all those who played a part in
helping AOB grow to achieve these
accomplishments, thank you.
To the young people who will be entering the AOB fold and
participating in one of our programs this year, welcome aboard.
We look forward to having you. To the youth who have already experienced the ways in which the AOB program has enriched their
lives and their futures, congratulations on a job well done. We look
forward to hearing of your successes in the years to come.
Sincerely,
“Arts on the Block is an outstanding organization
doing meaningful and important work in our community. Your wonderful staff leadership
guided the teens, but also worked collaboratively with them to form a partnership with our
Phil Zipin, Esq., President Jan Goldstein,
Founder & Executive Director
organization. The end result of this joint effort was the creation of a glorious work of art
which will hang in our reception area for years to come. Great job, Arts on the Block!”
— Resa Levy, President, Montgomery County Family Justice Center
Back row: Ashley McDonald (VISTA), Adjoa Burrowes (teaching artist), Carien Quiroga (lead teaching artist),
Richard Dana (board member), Phil Zipin (board president), Keith Tate (apprentice artist), Carlton Chambers (apprentice artist)
Front row: Romina (Mina) Nieto (apprentice artist), Pilar Ocampo (apprentice artist), Jan Goldstein (executive director)
Arts on the Block • 3
Arts on the Block / Artpreneurs, Inc.
Board Members
Staff
During FY11
Full and Part-time
Philip Zipin, Esq.
President
Zipin Law Firm, LLC
Jan Goldstein
Executive Director
June Linowitz
Vice President
ArtSeen, Inc.
John Barnes, CPA
Treasurer
Grant Thornton, LLP
Laura Dechter
Secretary
Social and Scientific Systems
Carolyn Small Alper
Artist and design professional
Leo Bruette, CPA
BDO USA, LLP
Richard L. Dana
Artist
Andrew Green
The Green Group, LLC
Jim Neustadt
WSSC
Brandon Pellecchia
Montgomery County Police Department
Carla Reid
Montgomery County Government
Greg Rooney
The Bernstein Companies
Nancy Rose
Youth Development Consultant
AOB “has impacted my life a lot because I always knew I
liked art, but I never knew I would be this good at art. At first I thought it would be
Daniel Shea
Branch Banking and Trust
Carien Quiroga
Lead Teaching Artist
Adjoa Burrowes
Teaching Artist
Mary Kendall CAQT Project Coordinator
Barbara Drazin
Senior Administrative Assistant
Steve Teske
Six-month sabbatical,
courtesy of the
Bureau of National Affairs
VISTA Members
Rachel Gelenius
Ashley McDonald
Contract/Consultant
11501 Georgia Ave., Suite 104
Wheaton, MD 20902-1952
240.645.0730
www.artsontheblock.com
Blogs
ARTpreneurs Workshop
Carroll Avenue Quebec Terrace
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Derek Sontz
Entrepreneurship Educator
Twitter
Cynthia Milloy
Art Educator
YouTube
Elizabeth Gill
Grantwriter
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Harry Andrews, CPA
Accountant
Will Blattner
IT
Dina Boogaard
Johns Hopkins University
challenging, I knew it was going to take time, but when we started, it was just so
much fun, I didn’t want to stop. It helped me a lot with communication skills—not
just with people at Arts on the Block, but also people outside of Arts on the Block.”
— Joanne Pierre Canel, apprentice artist
Arts on the Block • 5
Mission & Highlights
Arts on the Block is an award-winning youth arts organization
with administrative headquarters and workshop/studio space
in Wheaton, Md. AOB’s mission since its founding in 2003
has been to empower creative youth to imagine and shape
fulfilling futures and contribute to the quality of life of their
communities. AOB provides paid opportunities to work with
established artists/mentors on commissioned artwork and
entrepreneurial projects.
During Fiscal 2011
• AOB directly served 40 youth through
its signature “Pour Your Art Out
(PYAO)” workshop.
• AOB again engaged with multiple
partners for a second year of our
community revitalization through art
project in the Carroll Avenue/Quebec
Terrace (CAQT) community in Silver
Spring, bringing a permanent public
art project there—stair mosaics—
to fruition.
“Arts on the Block is amazing! (It) gave
me a huge confidence boost. I know I can. It was a great journey
and I really appreciate it. Thank you for having this program! You
bring kids out of their shells while giving them incentives to make
something out of their lives.” — Summer 2010 apprentice artist
• Programming was expanded to
northern Montgomery County with
the addition of the ARTpreneurs
workshop, a “green” social enterprise
initiative that teaches youth business acumen as well as promoting
environmental awareness.
• AOB was awarded a prestigious Nancy
Dworkin Outstanding Service to Youth
Award for our “dedication, vision and
service to children and youth.”
• AOB founder and Executive Director
Jan Goldstein was selected to participate in the Leadership Montgomery
program for 2010-2011.
• Professional journalist Steve Teske
offered his expertise to AOB for a
six-month sabbatical granted by the
Bureau of National Affairs.
• AOB hired a project coordinator for
CAQT with funds from our first-ever
Community Development Block Grant.
• An Americorp VISTA member, with
guidance from a professional evaluator, designed and managed a comprehensive alumni impact survey.
• Artwork of AOB apprentices was
featured at an exhibition, “Birds on the
Block” at Kefa Cafe in Silver Spring.
• AOB hosted two successful open
houses at our Wheaton studio--one
during the summer and another
celebrating Valentine’s Day held in
conjuction with the Montgomery
County Humane Society.
• Three artworks created by AOB participants entered into the Congressional Art
Competition were selected for hanging
and two received second place award.
• A total of eight artworks were commissioned by for-profit and non-profit
businesses, public agencies, and
individuals.
Arts on the Block • 7
Pour Your ART Out Workshop
Find out more about our Winter/Spring 2012 Workshop
Pour Your ART Out is the year-round flagship program of AOB. It allows youth ages 14 to 21
to express their creativity and develop artistic skills and knowledge while learning the business
side of art. During FY2011, workshops were again held at our Wheaton studio daily over the
course of six weeks during the summer and twice weekly over a 20 week period stretching
from late October through late April.
During each workshop, AOB engaged a diverse set of twenty high school students with
an interest in and aptitude for the arts. The program provided these young people with
paid apprenticeships to work on art commissions for paying clients. Under the supervision of a professional teaching artist, the apprentices were exposed to real-world art
and design projects, providing a first taste of, and broad exposure to, careers in related
fields and other job-readiness experiences.
AOB’s continuing work in the Carroll Aveune/Quebec Terrace community was also an
important component of PYAO this year, bringing greater depth and breadth to our
commitment to improving the quality of life of our community through art and design.
The summer workshop served 20 youth from eight high schools and was led by lead
teaching artist, Carien Quiroga, with assistance from VISTA member Rachel Gelenius.
The school year workshop, also led by Ms. Quiroga with assistance from teaching artist
Adjoa Burrowes, served an additional 20 youth from five high schools, and included
grant funding from the Collaboration Council and several grants specifically for the Carroll Avenue/Quebec Terrace project.
Selected commissions completed during FY11 included
• Mural honoring donors for Community Ministries of Rockville, Rockville, MD
“Arts on the Block really helped me speak in front
of the public and get more confidence in myself—
about who I am and how I’m developing my skills—and just being me. I definitely want to
go into the art field; since I’ve been taught here I really like the idea of teaching, because it
helps other people and it’s fun. I definitely have gained more confidence in myself and
helping others.” — Alexis Wallace, apprentice artist
• Mural honoring St. Francis of Assisi for
St. Francis International School, Silver Spring, MD
• Floor medallion for Pizzeria Paradiso, Alexandria, VA
• Mural honoring donors for Family Justice Center, Rockville, MD
• Backsplash for residence of June Linowitz and Howard Eisner, Bethesda, MD
• Staircase mosaics for Carroll Ave./Quebec Terrace community, Silver Spring, MD
• Holiday gifts for friends, colleagues and family of Shirley Brandman,
Montgomery County School Board president
Arts on the Block • 9
ARTpreneurs Workshop
ARTpreneurs Workshop Blog
In 2010 AOB launched the ARTpreneurs Workshop, in which young people develop
entrepreneurial acumen by creating products with market potential from recycled materials.
Participants, all of whom have a demonstrated interest in art and/or design, learned about
teamwork, presentation and marketing skills and created budgets for the production of artistic
products from recycled or repurposed materials.
ARTpreneurs Workshop is a social enterprise initiative for creative young people from
an area of Montgomery County facing some of the most severe economic challenges.
Piloted in 2010 in partnership with Montgomery College, the curriculum was adapted
from one produced by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The instructors for
this season were Derek Sontz (entrepreneurship) and Cynthia Milloy (art) with assistance from a cadre of entrepreneurial artists and design professionals who served as
mentors and guest presenters. Major funding for the workshop was provided by the Jim
and Carol Trawick Foundation.
“I used to think starting a
business would be too much,
The capstone of the 2010 workshop was a Business Plan Showcase and Competition in
which the young “artpreneurs” presented their plans and the functional art they created
(jewelry, coasters, and paper lanterns). Prominent business people and philanthropists
served on a judging panel and provided invaluable feedback and monetary rewards.
but now I think it’s possible... Knowing that people want to buy our stuff is
great. Incorporating [math] with art is doable; not easy, but plausible!”
— ARTpreneur Heruy Alemayehu
Arts on the Block • 11
Carroll Avenue/Quebec Terrace Project
Carroll Avenue Quebec Terrace Blog
In the fall of 2009, AOB began a public art planning process to
identify neighborhood challenges and assets in a low-income,
predominantly Hispanic area of Silver Spring, Md. During that
first year, AOB, c ollaboratively with the YMCA, the University
of Maryland Landscape Architecture program, IMPACT Silver
Spring, the Neighborhood Design Center and planners Todd
Bressi and Susie Leong, surveyed community needs and
together developed a five-year plan to begin addressing some
of the most critical community issues through art and design. “These beautiful stair mosaics are
important to us in many ways.
During fiscal year 2011, under the direction of project coordinator Mary Kendall, a first
permanent public art project was created in response to stated community needs,
with input and assistance from community members. A project covering the two most
heavily used stairs leading into the community with brightly-colored mosaics was dedicated June 29 in a ceremony attended the press and local dignitaries, including Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett. Major funders for this year’s initiative included
the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County; a Community Development
Block Grant through Montgomery County DHCA; and Carroll Apartments. Generous
in-kind support was also received from Denchfield Landscaping, among others. Arts on
the Block continues to raise funds and support for future public art projects in the CAQT
neighborhood.
These are steps you take each day to get to bus stops, parking, and home; but
the stair mosaic project represents steps you can take to help you get to a better
place in life…It is exactly initiatives like this one, conceived by Arts on the Block,
that demonstrate that despite obstacles, good things are accomplished when we
work together.” — Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett
Arts on the Block • 13
Alumni Survey
We are doing a lot….but are we making a difference? AOB set
out to answer this seminal question by securing the services
of a professional evaluation firm and a VISTA member to
design and conduct an impact survey of our alumni which
kicked off in August, 2010. Over the course of the survey, we
reached 103 alumni (40%) with an extensive online survey, 25
of whom also participated in an in-depth follow-up interview.
What did we learn —or affirm? Here are a few highlights.
Impacts
• AOB serves a rich, eclectic mix of young people, reflective
of the multicultural nature of Montgomery County. Twothirds of participants are girls. Thirty percent are African
Americans; 27% Hispanic/Latino; 17% Asian/Pacific Islander;
16% White/Caucasian; 8% multi-racial/other. **
• AOB appears to be making some of its greatest strides in
the professional development arena. Over 86% of survey
takers reported that participation in AOB enhanced their
ability to present themselves in a professional setting. At
the same time, AOB is positively influencing participants’
ability to work with a team; to lead and show initiative and
explore creative career opportunities.
• Of the 103 survey takers, 75 are still in school including 46
in colleges or universities; 12 have completed a bachelor’s
degree, and one completed a graduate degree. Nineteen
of those attending college are majoring or minoring in an
arts or design-related subject area. Fiscal Year 2011
Expenses
Income
Characteristics of Alumni
• Further, 82%* of surveyed alumni expressed an interest in
pursuing a job in an arts- or design-related field. Alumni
have held an impressive array of jobs, working in the nonprofit sector, for educational institutions, for art/design and
other businesses.
Grants 46%
Earned 35%
Contributed 19%
The full alumni survey report will be
available in late 2011.
* Percentages refer to responses of “some” and “a lot” by alumni. ** Survey takers almost exactly mirrored the alumni population as a whole.
Detailed reports available upon request.
• Youth emerge from AOB with enhanced confidence in artistic
abilities (92%). AOB is also positively impacting how participants see themselves and their potential, and how motivated
they are to take advantage of their unique possibilities. Alumni
credit AOB with increasing their ability to take responsibility for
their actions and set ambitious goals for themselves.
• At AOB, with a love of art being a common denominator, stereotypes break down and cross-cultural bonds are
fostered. Nearly 84%* of alumni reported that participating
in AOB enhanced their ability to interact with individuals of
different backgrounds.
• In general, AOB increased alumni’s sense of their connection
to the community and sense of responsibility for it as well;
78% of alumni told us that by participating in AOB, they made
a valuable contribution to their community.
Arts on the Block • 15
Thank You To Our Many Supporters!
$25,000+
$500+
Arts and Humanities Council of
Montgomery County
Montgomery County Collaboration
Council for Children, Youth and Families
Montgomery County DHCA –
Community Development Block Grant
Alper Family Foundation
Shereen Arent and Brian Wolfman
John and Kassie Barnes
Laura Dechter
Jane Fairweather
Benjamin and Gisela Huberman
Stuart J. Land
Linowes Design Associates, Inc.
Original Pancake House
Nancy and Joe Rose
Siems Properties, LLC
$10,000+
Maryland State Arts Council
Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
$5,000+
Carroll Apartments
$250+
CrossCurrents Foundation
Anonymous
Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Gloria Fischer
Ada H. Linowes
Timothy and Frances Hester
$2,000+
Pamela Meek
Bureau of National Affairs
Montgomery Alliance
Tides Foundation / Art4Moore
Sara Sennett
Phil and Marla Zipin
Dan Shea
$1,000+
The Bernstein Companies
Linda Forst
Henry and Carol Goldberg
Jan Goldstein
Andrew and Karen Green
June Linowitz
James Rallo
Carla Reid
Greg Rooney
D
nated
esign do
$100+
Ira Abrams
Branch Bank and Trust (BB&T)
Todd Bressi
Susan and Dixon Butler
Tamara Chism
Catherine and Charles Cook
Richard Dana
Jay Fisette and Robert Rosen
Janice Goldwater
Marc Gunther
D
by Text
Donald and Ann Hague
Tara Hamilton
Ellen Hill
Bailey Jordan
Cookie Kerxton
Dale Mangum
Mid-Atlantic Federal Credit Union
Dr. Norah Neale
James Neustadt
Frederick and Evelyn Rooney
Melinda Salzman
Libby Smigel
Steve Teske
In-Kind Donations
Adobe Donation Program
Harry Andrews
Architectural Ceramics
Avalon Bay
Marga Bergman
Will Blattner
Denchfield Landscaping
Gelman Rosenberg and Freedman
June Linowitz
Microsoft Software Donations Program
Montgomery County, Maryland
NPower
Noah Teske
Steve Teske
Text Design, Inc.
Zipin Law Firm
c.
esign, In
11501 Georgia Ave., Suite 104
Wheaton, MD 20902-1952
240.645.0730
www.artsontheblock.com