Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Space One Eleven Arts Center
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As:
Mailing Address: 2409 2nd Avenue North
City: Birmingham
State: AL
Postal Code: 35203
Main Phone: (205) 328-0553
Main Fax: N/A
Organization Website: https://spaceoneeleven.org/
Employer ID Number: 57-0890249
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: March 25, 2024
Requested Amount: $7,500

Project Title: Free and reduced-cost art classes and summer art camps for children and youth
Project Description:

City Center Art (CCA) is SOE’s sliding-scale art education program for youth in grades 2-12 and is a vital resource for cultural education in a region where many do not have access to art opportunities. Most of the students in SOE’s CCA afterschool program are recruited from under-resourced neighborhoods throughout Jefferson County. CCA summer camps serve students from diverse neighborhoods in the Birmingham/Hoover metro area, and summer camps are continuously filled and have waitlists; further demonstrating the need for quality, innovative arts education programs for youth, regardless of family income.

SOE’s Artist Residency program serves Title I schools in Birmingham that are without art teachers and where many children have never had access to an art class or art supplies. The availability of art classes in school increases learning across the curriculum, aids in the creation of a positive environment, and increases student attendance.

According to the Alabama Department of Education, less than 30% of Alabama public schools currently offer art classes. Issues of access and equity have had a particular impact on the availability of art programs. Yet for at-risk children especially, the arts allow students to safely express themselves in ways that are not possible through academics. Involvement in the arts can support the social and emotional learning needs of students and provide an outlet for students to build resiliency.

Additionally, with an increased focus on test scores, teaching in many classrooms has shifted from meaningful learning to rote learning. At SOE, teaching artists develop fun, open-ended, divergent art lessons to expand cognitive abilities and higher-order thinking skills. This type of relational learning creates connections with previous knowledge from other academic subjects. SOE teaching artists balance instruction between creating and responding–where making, discussing, and writing about their work can be a transformative learning experience for students.

Total Project Budget: $264,673

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Sources Committed: Alabama State Council on the Arts; Blue Cross Blue Shield: The Caring Foundation; Discretionary Funding, Carol Clarke, Birmingham City Councilor District 8; EBSCO Community Impact Committee; Goodrich, Mike and Gillian Foundation; Gratitude Foundation; Discretionary Funding, Darrell O’Quinn, Birmingham City Councilor District 5; Windgate Foundation; Individual Contributions. Sources Potential: Daniel Foundation of Alabama; Alabama Civil Justice Foundation; Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham; Hill Crest Foundation

Project Duration: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025
Geographical Area Served: North Central Alabama
Age Group To Be Served: Grades 2 through 12 (generally, ages 7-19)

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Ms.
Contact First Name: Cheryl
Contact Last Name: Lewis
Contact Title: Director of Programs
Contact Phone: (205)328-0553
Contact Email: CherylLewis@SpaceOneEleven.org