Our Impact
Est. 2001
The Numbers
Arts @ Large programs transform the way teachers teach and students learn in K-12 schools across the City of Milwaukee. Our program impact in 2017-2018 includes:

3,500 Gallery Visitors
Exhibitions, performances, and art-making workshops celebrate the beautiful work created by students and the public at the Arts @ Large Community Center. Arts events serve as the catalyst for community conversations on critical topics that affect the quality of life in Milwaukee, our State, Country and around the Globe.
Outcomes
Teachers
Our Goal
Increase the competence and confidence of teachers
to teach in and through the arts.
artsHUBmke, a multi-year collaboration between Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee Public Schools and Arts @ Large used the Kid Curators Museum process to equip teachers with a focused arts integration tool. 54 teachers from Allenfield and Parkside Schools, and Milwaukee High School of the Arts reported:
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artsHUBmke helped me to gain confidence in my ability to further develop arts integration tools and ideas in my teaching or leadership. Average 8.6
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artsHUBmke helped me to gain competence in my ability to further develop arts integration tools and ideas in teaching or leadership. Average 8.3
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artsHUBmke provided practical concepts regarding arts integration and how they might have an impact on a school community. Average 9.2
“According to the data from December 7, 2017, they [teachers] average higher than an 8.3 on a 10-point scale, so they self-report high levels of ability.”
~Project Evaluator, Dr. Peter Jonas
Students
In 2016-2017, students at Clarke Street School participated in Arts @ Large Kid Curators museum projects, showing dynamic improvements in literacy skills. In addition to improving literacy skills, parents reported an increase in the amount of time their children spent reading at home with them.
80% increase in the number of K5 students meeting proficiency in speaking and listening, 20% increase in meeting proficiency in writing, 35% increase in meeting proficiency in reading informational text, and a 47% increase in meeting proficiency in vocabulary acquisition.
75% increase in the number of 1st grade students meeting proficiency in speaking and listening, 23% increase in meeting proficiency in writing, 29% increase in meeting proficiency in reading informational text, and a 38% increase in meeting proficiency in vocabulary acquisition.
Special Projects
The Fabric of Milwaukee program, designed to build skills and confidence of immigrant and refugee students, was evaluated by Reinders Research in 2017-2018.
“Evaluation provides evidence that, in its pilot year, the Fabric of Milwaukee program accomplished many critical things. Most importantly, it provided an opportunity to engage students and deliver enriching arts programming.
The Fabric of Milwaukee program achieved well-documented success in engaging and educating the broader community through the arts, cultural expression and poignant storytelling from the immigrant perspective. Survey feedback reveals the strong impact of community exposure in educating, building empathy, and stimulating involvement.”
Full Report ~Reinders Research, October 2018
Stories
The Café Business Leadership interns from Bay View High School and Vincent High School toured Purple Door Ice Cream and learned the intricacies of making ice cream. The students then put their knowledge to work, creating their own unique flavor of ice cream. These flavors went head-to-head in an ice cream taste-off, with the winning flavor earning a spot in the dipping case at the new Arts @ Large Café.