Using the Arts to Help Our Community Thrive nurtures creativity in disadvantaged areas, especially Milwaukee’s near South Side. By engaging families in various arts like ceramics, gardening, and music, the initiative spreads beauty and fosters community. Inspired by Sister Tomasita’s belief that creativity prevents destruction, it emphasizes the importance of art for all ages. This past school year, the organization collaborated with several schools’ after-school programs and conducted a two-month residency with Arts@Large, working with students in its gallery space. These engagements invited students ages 12 and older to apply to an internship program where they received a stipend, worked with adult artists on public art pieces, and created ceramics for the
organization’s fundraisers. The summer program supported about 40 youth and continued as an after-school program during 
the school year.
