WINTER NEWSLETTER

Written By Living Arts

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DEAR LIVING ARTS COMMUNITY,

I hope you have been treating yourselves as gently as possible. This new year has come in a whirlwind, and we’ve spent the winter months settling into our Michigan Avenue space and making plans to continue to support youth arts in Detroit.

Living Arts, like many non-profits in the country, is facing a funding deficit and is actively seeking opportunities to diversify and support our generated revenue. As you might imagine, providing low-to-no-cost high-quality arts education isn’t actually free, and we need the help of our community, supporters, and arts advocates everywhere to be able to continue our services at their current level, and to ensure all young people have access to the arts programming, safety, and confidence they deserve.

Whether you’re able to forge a corporate sponsorship for us or make a $5/month donation, securing financial support is the single biggest way Living Arts could use you right now. That being said, that’s not always accessible, so I wanted to offer a few other ways to support Living Arts (or other non-profits you love) during this time:

  • Learn the mission statement and tell at least 5 people in your life about us!

  • “Living Arts ignites creativity in the lives of Detroit youth through the performing, visual, and media arts.”

  • Follow and amplify us on social media! (insta, facebook, and bluesky!)

  • Set up content downloads for the Living in the Arts podcast

  • Attend our events!

  • Host your own fundraiser in our honor!

    • If this one calls to you and you’d like support, email claire@livingartsdetroit.org.

At Living Arts, we believe in the power of a strong community and I hope, if you haven’t already, that you’ll introduce yours

to us this year.

-Laura Scales

CEO of Living Arts

 

SPRING BREAK ARTS CAMP

SPRING BREAK ARTS CAMP

MARCH 24-28TH

9AM-4PM | AGES 6-12

Sign ups are now open for our unforgettable Spring Break Arts Camp!

Youth will learn about Detroit Music History and explore a variety of art forms from drawing to Afro Beats dance, all with industry professionals!

Campers will laugh, learn, and IGNITE their creativity like NEVER BEFORE!

Living Arts HALFTIME SHOW

Our Jit students performed for the Detroit Pistons’ annual Kids Day! In February, they shared the court with the Pistons Jit Team, including some of our very own Teaching Artists.

SHOUTOUT: Mike Manson, Lilanie Karunanayake, Gabrielle McLeod, & James Broxton from House of Jit/ Pistons Jit Team for making this opportunity come to life!!

Our students have never before performed in front of this large of a crowd and their hard work paid off! With just a few hours of rehearsal time, our students learned a whole section of choreography from the Pistons Jit Team after receiving an ~exclusive~ stadium tour.

With the roar of our community cheering from the stands, the music started, and they took the court at halftime. Under the bright stadium lights, their energy was electric—you could feel the passion in every move!

After an incredible showing, the performers came together, celebrating their hard work and unforgettable performance. After the game, our students were met with cheers and high-fives from friends, family, and supporters, closing the night on a high note.

We are so proud of our students —their dedication, courage, and hard work made this moment possible. Living Arts is so grateful to the Detroit Pistons and their Jit Team for creating opportunities to make incredible memories for our students.

This is just the beginning—we can’t wait to see where their talent takes them next! To stay up to date on Living Arts performances, or to see the highlights from this one, be sure to follow us on social media!

HALFTIME PERFORMANCE VIDEO!

APRIL FOR THE ARTS!

At Living Arts, we know the power of a strong community and hope you’ll introduce us to yours!

Join us by hosting your own online fundraiser during the month of April! Our collective goal for this online event is $13,000 to cover our Out-of-School Arts students performance costume budget.

EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS! Participating in April for the Arts means every dollar your community raises goes directly toward keeping the arts accessible for young people.

So, will YOU help us cover the COSTumes?

DANCING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Thank you to those who joined us for festive performances!

We are honored to have been invited!

On December 6th, our Full Youth Dance Ensemble Company had the incredible honor of being invited as guest performers at La Casa Amiga's Annual Posada, a vibrant Mexican holiday celebration.

In addition to the performance, our Teaching Artist, Emilio Rodriguez, led a youth arts workshop, providing young participants with a hands-on creative experience that celebrated culture and self-expression.

On December 7th, our Intermediate Jit dancers and Youth Dance Ensemble had the exciting opportunity to perform at the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit as part of the 50th Annual Noel Night!

This beloved Detroit tradition brings together art, culture, and community in a magical evening of performances and festivities. Our talented dancers showcased their incredible skills, sharing the power of dance with an enthusiastic audience.

SAVE THE DATES

SEASON THREE COMING SOON!

Season THREE of the Living in the Arts podcast starts now!

We've got a JAM PACKED season learning about theater onstage and off, creative marketing, writing, dance, and more!

Featured Guest: Emilio Rodriguez 3/4, Tom Pearl 3/18, Mur Lafferty 4/1, Miryam Johnson 4/8, Josh Simons 4/15, Josh Weaver 4/22, Stephanie Mae Richwell 4/19, Jim guy 4/13

Make sure to follow wherever you get your podcasts.

Already listening? Don’t forget to drop a rating or review!

LIVING ARTS DANCE-A-THON

APRIL 25-26TH | TIME TBA

This April, we’re hosting our first-ever Dance-A-Thon!

Our goal is not only to celebrate International Dance Day but also to raise funds for rent on our brand-new home for next year! Get ready for 25 hours of nonstop dancing, delicious food, live music, and special guest artists!

ARTS & MEDIA EXHIBITION

MAY 18TH | 1PM

Join us for our 3rd Annual Arts & Media Exhibition!

This exhibition showcases the incredible work of our Visual Arts, Animation, and Music Production students from the past year! Come celebrate their creativity with stunning paintings, live animation screenings, and even listening stations featuring original student-produced music.

YDE DANCE CONCERT

MAY 25TH | 6PM

Join us for our 3rd annual YOUTH DANCE ENSEMBLE CONCERT!

Come experience our YDE (Youth Dance Ensemble) in their own show! This concert contains not only pieces choreographed by our Teaching Artists, but also by our students! This concert is not like the other dance concerts we have!

SHOWCASE SEASONS OF CHANGE

JUNE 8TH | 10PM

Join us for our annual DANCE SHOWCASE!

Each year we showcase all of our Out of School Arts Dance Classes in one big show! You can see everything from our beginner dance classes with our little ones, to Latin Fusion, Detroit Jit, & EVEN MORE! You will not be able to see this much variety in one dance concert anywhere around!

 

WINTER WONDERLAND

CRAFT FAIR

After being displaced from our previous home, our community lost a space to gather, create, and sell their crafts. But with our new home, we knew we had to reignite that spirit and give our local vendors a place to shine again.

So, we dreamed up something even bigger: a Winter Wonderland Craft Fair—a festive marketplace where creativity, community, and holiday cheer came together under one roof.

Our space transformed into a winter wonderland, filled with the scents of freshly baked Mexican pastries, the artistry of handmade soaps and crafts, and even the work of our own students, proudly selling their artwork. Families and friends browsed the stalls, soaking in the holiday magic and supporting local talent.

But the night wasn’t just about shopping—it was about community!

Laughter filled the air as attendees joined in a raffle, with baskets generously donated by local businesses. Families posed for portraits with Alejandro Ugalde, capturing memories. And of course, a mischievous visitor—the Grinch himself—made a surprise appearance, bringing fun and laughter to all.

Then came the highlight of the night.

Our Youth Dance Ensemble (YDE) took the stage for two holiday festive performances. Earlier that day, they had danced at the Southwest Holiday Fest, and now, they had the chance to close out the night in our new home—a place where their artistry could truly shine.

Though the winter air was cold outside, inside, the warmth of community, creativity, and holiday spirit filled every corner of the room.

 

2025 Living Arts Ambassadors

Because of our Ambassadors, we’ve been able to support a website revamp, provide stickers with our direct mail campaign, and continue to support our high-quality arts education programming for our OSA students!

GEOFF BOSCH

SUSANNAH GOODMAN

MARYLAURA MAU

LAUREL MCATEER

AARON MONDRY

THE SCHWEITZER FAMILY

SEAN STOCKMAN

ANDREW THEIS

ANN THEIS

Individual donors who have donated a cumulative amount of $1,000+ over the course of the calendar year will get exclusive status and rewards! Become an Ambassador for 2025 and celebrate 25 years with Living Arts!

Living Arts
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