Kentuck gets $10,00 grant for children’s art kits

Northport’s Kentuck Art Center is getting help from the National Endowment for the Arts so it can provide more Boxes of Joy to children who may not have regular access to art supplies and instruction.

The $10,000 Challenge America award going to Kentuck is one of 168 projects across the country selected for grants from the program.

Kentuck’s Boxes of Joy is a free subscription-style program serving children younger than 12 living in low-income communities. The program began by serving children in the West Circle Community, and each month Kentuck delivers age-appropriate art activities that include all necessary supplies, extras for exploration and information for parents and children about the current programming available at Kentuck. Activities are based on what’s on display in one of Kentuck’s three admission-free galleries.

“Kentuck’s Board of Directors and staff members are beyond excited to be able to expand Kentuck’s Boxes of Joy,” said Kentuck Executive Director Amy Echols. “Major goals of this program include increasing access to arts education in our community and providing an outlet for creative expression during the distressing COVID-19 pandemic.”

Thanks to the grant, Kenuck can expand the program from providing 40 kits a month to 100, and they’ll also be offering in-person activities with professional artists at West Circle along with a day of family-friendly activities at Kentuck. In addition, they’re starting up a mentorship program that will benefit five rising high school seniors who live within the Northport Housing Authority.