Cal State Long Beach graduate Jamie Carr is helping bring art to local K-8 student communities by teaming up with Arts Alive, an educational non-profit organization dedicated to providing scholarships for young individuals studying in the visual and performing arts fields.
Arts Alive will host its annual “We Can Swing” spring fundraiser in downtown San Pedro on March 19 with students representing schools in the South Bay area. The region encompasses several L.A. county cities including Inglewood, Torrance and Rancho Palos Verdes.
The organization will be celebrating its 17th anniversary at the gathering, aside from acquiring funds through ticket sales and donations.
“We are raising money to provide full scholarships to students to help them continue their art classes,” alumni and event organizer Carr said in an email. “All the money raised that evening will go directly back to the schools/students so every dollar counts.”
The event will feature young musicians ages six to 14 from local schools, as well as the classic swing era music group, Fabulous Esquires Big Band.
The fundraiser will be held at People’s Place San Pedro from 3-7 p.m. with live entertainment from the students and the Esquires band beginning at 4 p.m.
The “We Can Swing” event is open to the public. Anyone interested in attending can reserve a seat or purchase a ticket for $15 at kingsandclowns.com.
Carr graduated from CSULB in May 2016 with a Bachelor of Science and Arts degree in dance and has been working with Arts Alive as a dance instructor since last August.
According to the company’s website, Arts Alive promotes both in-school and after-school arts programs in middle and elementary schools in order to offer scholarships and performance opportunities to students.
The educators work on building a curriculum that complies with the California Visual and Performing Arts Standards.
“I specifically teach dance, but other teachers do visual arts, all kinds of musical instruments and drama,” Carr said in a phone interview.
According to Carr, the organization is working on getting every department within the company involved in hosting a scholarship event.
“The ‘We Can Swing’ event is our big company fundraiser, but we also hold specific scholarship events. Like last month we held a violin scholarship event to raise money for a full year of tuition for students who play violin,” she said.
To qualify for an Arts Alive scholarship students must fill out an application as well as obtain a letter of recommendation from a professor and meet certain grade requirements.
The non-profit group serves over 600 K-8 students with the help of parents and art instructors. Arts Alive focuses on bringing its programs to underprivileged schools and catholic schools.
Students from Nativity School, St. Catherine Labouré School and St. Joseph School will be present at the upcoming function.
“It’s really great to see kids who have never been exposed to ballet or theatre or something come into the [Arts Alive] program and experience something new,” Carr said. “They get into it, and it’s really fulfilling.”