Melrose Follow Your Art for ALL
Donation protected
The Future of Follow Your Art : The Journey Continues.
When FYA began 10 years ago, there was only one thing about which I was certain: I wanted to make creative art experiences available to everyone, regardless of ability. The greater Melrose community responded warmly, and I have been immensely grateful for the support the studio has received.
Through the years, we've worked to provide a safe space, access to art materials and a balance of structure, knowledge and experimentation to encourage that creative self-expression for hundreds of individuals. As our community has grown and the studio continued to evolve, our philosophy of art for all has led to financial decisions that support this idea.
FYA has absorbed yearly rent increases for the last 5 years with no increase in class tuition. We provide whatever tuition assistance we can for families who need it. We partner with community organizations whenever we can to offer free creative opportunities in the community. This is part of what makes Follow Your Art a community studio, and it is a vital part of our identity.
This month our rent will increase 20%, and officially outpace our ability to do what we do without some major changes. As rents continue to increase on Main Street, we’ve concluded that our current studio space is not our permanent home. Therefore, this will be our final year at 416 Main Street; Follow Your Art will be moving by June of 2019.
That gives us a year to think about next steps. It also means we will need to cover this increase in a way that is keeping with our philosophy. Starting in September of 2018 we will increase our tuition costs. The amount per class could be a maximum of 20% of current tuition but we want to avoid that kind of jump.
This Go Fund Me campaign will raise money for financial aid to keep our programming open to everyone. Donations of any amount will be put toward artists who request financial assistance.
We've determined that $6500 would offset our increased costs this year and provide a modest financial aid cushion for scholarships. Any increase that must be made in September will be determined by the funds we raise. If we are fortunate enough to reach this goal by August 1st we will not raise our tuition at all.
That gets us to June 2019. What then?
I will be dedicating a good amount of my energy this year looking for the next step for FYA. My intention is to help it find a permanent Melrose home, and evolve in whatever way it needs to accomplish this.
And…
My hope is to find artists, space owners, cultural groups or ANY community members who are interested in being part of a collaborative, multi-modal community art space in Melrose. I have only a vague vision of what this could be, but I know it will require more knowledge, energy and resources than I have alone. If this is something you would like to see in our growing Melrose,please get in touch!
We at FYA like to ask where your art will lead you. As we continue on this new bend in our journey, we're inviting you to come along and see where it leads us.
With love and appreciation,
Kris and the FYA Team
When FYA began 10 years ago, there was only one thing about which I was certain: I wanted to make creative art experiences available to everyone, regardless of ability. The greater Melrose community responded warmly, and I have been immensely grateful for the support the studio has received.
Through the years, we've worked to provide a safe space, access to art materials and a balance of structure, knowledge and experimentation to encourage that creative self-expression for hundreds of individuals. As our community has grown and the studio continued to evolve, our philosophy of art for all has led to financial decisions that support this idea.
FYA has absorbed yearly rent increases for the last 5 years with no increase in class tuition. We provide whatever tuition assistance we can for families who need it. We partner with community organizations whenever we can to offer free creative opportunities in the community. This is part of what makes Follow Your Art a community studio, and it is a vital part of our identity.
This month our rent will increase 20%, and officially outpace our ability to do what we do without some major changes. As rents continue to increase on Main Street, we’ve concluded that our current studio space is not our permanent home. Therefore, this will be our final year at 416 Main Street; Follow Your Art will be moving by June of 2019.
That gives us a year to think about next steps. It also means we will need to cover this increase in a way that is keeping with our philosophy. Starting in September of 2018 we will increase our tuition costs. The amount per class could be a maximum of 20% of current tuition but we want to avoid that kind of jump.
This Go Fund Me campaign will raise money for financial aid to keep our programming open to everyone. Donations of any amount will be put toward artists who request financial assistance.
We've determined that $6500 would offset our increased costs this year and provide a modest financial aid cushion for scholarships. Any increase that must be made in September will be determined by the funds we raise. If we are fortunate enough to reach this goal by August 1st we will not raise our tuition at all.
That gets us to June 2019. What then?
I will be dedicating a good amount of my energy this year looking for the next step for FYA. My intention is to help it find a permanent Melrose home, and evolve in whatever way it needs to accomplish this.
And…
My hope is to find artists, space owners, cultural groups or ANY community members who are interested in being part of a collaborative, multi-modal community art space in Melrose. I have only a vague vision of what this could be, but I know it will require more knowledge, energy and resources than I have alone. If this is something you would like to see in our growing Melrose,please get in touch!
We at FYA like to ask where your art will lead you. As we continue on this new bend in our journey, we're inviting you to come along and see where it leads us.
With love and appreciation,
Kris and the FYA Team
Organizer and beneficiary
Kris Rodolico
Organizer
Melrose, MA
Follow Your Art
Beneficiary
