Artreach, Inc.

Results: Over the past 23 years, Art-Reach has distributed over 213,000 donated and discounted tickets to people who would otherwise not have had the opportunity to experience the arts. Working with over 150 cultural organizations enables those we serve to experience theater and visit museums, gardens and historical sites across the region. In addition, Art-Reach has a roster of over 50 artists who reflect all types of performing and visual arts specialties and a diverse range of cultural and ethnic traditions, who travel to human services agencies for on-site performances. Since 2000, Art-Reach has coordinated over 2,300 on-site performances, with an average of 16 events per month.

Target demographics: Art-Reach provides arts and cultural experiences to traditionally underserved audiences of all ages - individuals with economic disadvantages and/or disabilities.

Direct beneficiaries per year: 17,000

Geographic areas served: Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and Northern Delaware

Programs: Each program is sensitive to the individual and group needs of member agencies by making certain of accessibility issues and appropriateness of the performance/event for particular audiences. People of all ages, economic backgrounds, races and physical capabilities are able to enjoy arts and cultural events, when they otherwise might not be able to partake in the richness of the arts. In keeping with its central mission to overcome financial obstacles in order to make the arts more accessible, Art-Reach works to keep costs low. Our programs remain accessible to people with low incomes. Ticketing and Museum Programs:Art-Reach obtains donated or significantly discounted performing arts and museum tickets for distribution to participating agencies and schools serving special-needs audiences. Art-Reach matches audience members with appropriate performances, which maximizes the experience for participants and maintains good relationships with our arts partners. Over the past 19 years, Art-Reach has obtained over 187,000 donated and discounted tickets from over 125 arts organizations and distributed them to human service agencies serving traditionally underserved audiences. The Ticketing Program averages over 30 events per month, including performances for children and adults and ranging from theater to dance to museum visits. We receive approximately 10,000 tickets annually through the Ticketing Program, which gives people of all ages, economic backgrounds, races and physical capabilities access to arts and cultural events that they otherwise would not get to experience; that explore current, socially relevant issues; and that reflect the best of this region's rich cultural community. In-Facility Program:The In-Facility Program offers member agencies and schools the unique experience of having arts events carefully tailored to their needs and brought directly to their agency. This offers special-needs audience members the opportunity to interact much more directly with artists and with the artistic medium itself. Since the program's inception in 1992, Art-Reach has coordinated over 1500 In-Facility performances to date, with an average of 21 performances per month. Art-Reach has a roster of diverse performers that includes musicians, dancers, storyteller and visual artists who are experienced and dedicated to working with special needs audiences. We periodically make additions to the Roster of Performers in order to provide our participants with diverse arts opportunities. Workshop Program:Our Workshop Program brings performing and visual artists into facilities serving disabled and disadvantaged audiences on an ongoing basis. Access Guide:Available in printed form and online at www.art-reach.org, the Access Guide is the region's premier resource for structural and programmatic accessibility information about arts and cultural venues and organizations. Art-Reach has completed the first expansion of the online Access Guide to include more cultural venues from southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware. There are now approximately 140 arts venues and organizations listed in the online Access Guide. Each new venue received a site review of its facility from a professional ADA consultant and a listing on the online Guide that details its structural and programmatic accessibility. We plan to continue to update and expand the online Guide, updating 40 current listings and adding 10 new ones this year.