This week on Spotlight On Maryland, Gina Crash was joined in studio by Randi Pupkin, Founder/Executive Director, and Megan Gatto, Deputy Director of Art With A Heart, (AWAH), to talk about their new home for HeARTwares, their social enterprise store, and their upcoming 25th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, March 29th at the M&T Bank Exchange at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, (home of the Hippodrome Theatre).
AWAH's mission is to enhance the lives of people in need through visual arts. Founded in 2000 by Randi Pupkin who was an attorney at the time and eventually stopped practicing law to focus on AWAH, the Baltimore-based nonprofit uses visual art for positive civic and economic change in its community programming, workforce development, community art, service learning and leadership development initiatives.
Megan Gatto will step into the role of Executive Director when Randi steps down on June 30th to enjoy retirement. Megan has been working with the organization for 9 years working her way up from Program Coordinator to Co-Program Director to Program Director and in 2023 became the Deputy Director. Randi and Megan talk about how they have been working in a unique, co-leadership model to prepare AWAH for the transition.
They also talked about their new home for HeARTwares, AWAH's social enterprise store located at 1104 W. 36th Street on The Avenue in Hampden. All of the artwork for sale at HeARTwares is created by Art with a Heart students in AWAH's Workforce Development program, HeARTworks, apprentices from that program and community volunteers.
Tickets are on sale now for AWAH's 25th Anniversary Celebration Saturday, March 29th at the M&T Bank Exchange. Click here to purchase tickets. Event proceeds will help AWAH continue to provide the gift of art to those who need it most-thereby making Baltimore more innovative, creative, vibrant and beautiful.
To find out more about Art With a Heart and their programs, visit their website artwithaheart.net. You can also follow them on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Click the media player below to listen to the interview and find out more.