The inaugural ARTBEAT Showcase held at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center raised $50,000 in support of the arts in local schools.
Sandy Springs Arts Foundation (SSAF) covered the cost of the showcase. All money raised through the event is being donated back to participating schools to help purchase instruments, paint, consumables, and software, according to an SSAF news release.
The event held at the Byers Theatre highlighted the talent of public-school arts students from: Ridgeview Charter Middle School, Riverwood International Charter High School, Sandy Springs Charter Middle School, and North Springs High School.
“Our premiere ARTBEAT event was a fabulous opportunity for our Sandy Springs-located students to showcase their talent and passion for the arts. Having the opportunity to perform on the grand stage of the Byers Theatre and display their art in the Byers lobby was a thrill for students and audiences alike,” SSAF board member Jan Collins said, according to a press release.
More than 450 students presented over 120 pieces of 2D and 3D visual art and danced, sang, performed music (band, orchestra, chorus), and acted. Approximately 900 attendees were in the audience.
SSAF said that public schools are the heartbeats of the neighborhoods, where kids learn to live in community with each other. Seven of the 11 public schools in Sandy Springs are Title 1, with approximately 40 percent of the school population in households below the poverty line.
Students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and lower drop-out rates, according to the release. Seventy-two percent of corporations say the top skill they seek is creativity. Arts activities in schools and at home can help foster cognitive development as well as provide outlets for children to express how they feel and develop their identities.
Sponsors included Northside Hospital, RBM of Atlanta, The Bill Harrison Foundation,…
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