Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

“My children LOVE CHAW.  I used to say that CHAW was one of the best-kept secrets for children in Washington, DC.  But I think the ‘secret’ is getting out!”
-Katherine Dawes, Youth Arts Program parent


May 2013

Dear Friend of CHAW,

On any given day at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, you’ll find people happily learning and creating in a safe, nurturing space.  Depending on the hour, you might see toddlers and caregivers going to music class, or pre-school ballerinas practicing pirouettes as they line up behind their teacher. 

After school, elementary and middle-school students rush in for ceramics, painting, theater, or private music lessons, and in the evening adults arrive for visual arts, photography, ceramics and dance classes.  Perhaps you’d see a local professional theater company rehearsing for its next show in the black box theater, or hear a senior choir working through a new piece of music.

These things, and so many more, happen every day, every week, and every year as they have for decades at CHAW.  (Well, we do take a break on Sundays.)  For more than forty years CHAW has focused on building community through the arts with classes, exhibitions, and performances available to everyone who wants to be a part of CHAW’s creative community.  Tuition at CHAW covers about 80% of the cost of running classes; we raise money each year to cover the remaining 20% so that our programs are affordable for people at every income level.

We are lucky that ours is a very generous community.  Throughout CHAW’s history it’s been a priority to never turn anyone away from our classes and programs because they can’t afford to pay.  With the help of caring donors like you, we’ve provided $50,000 to $60,000 per year in tuition assistance to low-income families for the last several years.  More than 90% of that has gone to children.

We need your help to make the arts available to all, no matter their financial situation.  From now through June 10th we’re holding CHAW’s annual Paint Bucket fundraising campaign.  This year our Board of Directors has set a goal of raising $60,000, which will go toward tuition assistance.  With your help, we can reach our Paint Bucket goal!

A parent of children in our Youth Arts Program describes their CHAW experience beautifully:
“My daughters derived so much benefit from the ability to take classes at CHAW as a result of tuition assistance.  Our entire family learned from the experience as our lives were enriched with music we learned, ideas we implemented and new ways of looking at our daily activities through the lens of art lived rather than seen from a distance.  My daughters grew tremendously, shared the joy of music and dancing with other children and made friends whose company reinforced their classroom experience.  We cannot thank CHAW enough!”

Please help us provide more art to more people with a tax-deductible donation to CHAW.  Any amount you can give makes a difference for our students and our community.  Perhaps you could give a recurring donation this year of $10 to $20 monthly.  You give CHAW strength through your generosity! 

Giving is easy; you can send payment by mail using the enclosed donor card and envelope; go to http://www.chaw.org and click “Donate” then “Paint Bucket;” or call (202) 547-6839 and use a credit card over the phone for a one-time or monthly donation.  We also accept stock donations.

Help us reach our $60,000 goal, and give a child an arts opportunity.  Please make your donation to Paint Bucket today! 

Thank you from the CHAW community.

Sincerely,

Jill Strachan
Executive Director


P.S.  Please read the following story of one mother’s CHAW experience.  I’ve also included some concrete examples of how your donation will help us fulfill our mission.  Thank you for your support - you make CHAW a place where everyone can create.

Is Tuition Assistance Important?

Read this and decide for yourself:

“I am a single mother who is a full-time student . . . trying to create a life for my child different from the one I lived.  I want her to have exposure to art and music and dance and so many things that broaden her viewpoint beyond a life of poverty.  I want her to have creative outlets and can’t afford to give her a quality arts education on my own. 

[My daughter] attended one of the summer camps at CHAW last summer.  She made new friends and learned so many new things.  At that time, we were living in a homeless shelter and CHAW allowed her to escape from that environment for a little while.  Now we live in our own apartment, and I want her to continue her exposure to and love of the arts that began last summer.”

-mother of a student in the Youth Arts Program

At CHAW, we see every day how our tuition assistance program can make a difference in the life of a child.  We thank you for your donation, and we thank you for strengthening our community.  Our donors are CHAWsome!

Wish List

•  $50 pays for a one-hour piano lesson for a student who can’t afford tuition.
•  $100 will purchase gas for one van for one month.  Our vans pick up children at local schools for after-school classes and transport summer campers on field trips.
•  $275 pays for a summer camper to enjoy a one-week, half-day session exploring Columbia, India, the American West, or Italy.
•  $285 pays for one teaching artist for one week in our Youth Arts Program after-school classes.
•  $350 pays one semester of tuition for a child’s art class.
•  $500 pays for a visit from our piano tuner.
•  $900 pays for summer camp t-shirts.
•  $1,800 pays for one month of electricity during the summer .
•  $3,000 pays for one day of operations costs.
•  $10,000 pays all of our teaching artists for one two-week period.
•  $11,500 pays for art supplies for one year for our Youth Arts Program.