Three decades ago, Wilmington's DREAMS Center for Arts Education opened up shop in a church at Sixth and Ann streets downtown.
These days, DREAMS is a Wilmington institution. But in 1997, it was an under-the-radar, nonprofit program with a big dream of its own: to bring free arts education to kids whose families might not otherwise be able to afford it.
Nearly 30 years later, that dream has been realized for countless hundreds of children in the Wilmington area.
"I mean, 30 years of youth development has really shaped the greater Wilmington economy and cultural scene," said Jaya Kandasamy, DREAMS program director, during an interview at the nonprofit's headquarters on Fanning Street. Located in a renovated former city of Wilmington bus garage,
it contains classrooms, offices, a performance space and a small art gallery.
"Wilmington is very supportive of the arts and the artist community," Kandasamy added. "So being able to tap into that and get the kids exposed to art is really helpful. Especially now, when schools are cutting arts programs."
On April 30, 2027, DREAMS will mark its 30th birthday with a spring showcase that, appropriately enough, is focused on the kids it serves, with student performances and student art on display (and for sale — kids keep 100% of proceeds from any purchases of their art).
Some students from DREAMS' early days are now teaching at DREAMS, Kandasamy said, while others have gone on to become "movers and shakers in the community."
The typical "DREAMer," she said, stays with the programs for an average of four years and takes 13 free classes in such areas as music, dance and visual art.
In March, DREAMS hired a new executive director, Liz Gage, former executive director of the Durham Art Guild.
And in September, DREAMS had what Kandasamy called a "cheers to 30" event hosted by founder Tracy Wilkes that was attended by past and present DREAMS teachers and board members. Roger Davis, a guitarist, and Fritzi Huber, a visual artist, both of whom have been teachers with DREAMS since the beginning, were recognized and honored as part of the event.
DREAMS prioritizes children who face "significant barriers to success," Kandasamy said, and whose families live at or below the poverty line. But any child who is at least 8 and hasn't yet graduated high school can apply for classes.
The nonprofit employs five full-time staffers and some two dozen "teaching artists" who work directly with children.
DREAMS is an incredibly busy place, with more going on in terms of activities and partnerships than can easily fit into one article.
In addition to classes, they offer three sessions of free summer camps; recently worked with the Gallery @ 210 on Princess Street downtown to launch a student-led juried art show; and run numerous off-campus programs.
About 200 students attend classes on the non-profit's campus, with twice as many reached off-site.
"One of our biggest barriers is transportation, and schools are dealing with that now, too. They can't find bus drivers," Kandasamy said. "So instead of trying to get the kids here and get them consistently here, we're trying to take the program (to them)."
Future projects include more outreach in Brunswick and Pender counties and to non-English speakers, and increasing focus on college preparation for teenagers.
For both younger children and teens, Kandasamy said, art is a "protective measure … that is going to support their emotional well-being. … You can see this like beautiful learning curve of (kids) judging themselves, feeling badly, like, 'Oh, my piece is not perfect,' and then it clicking and them understanding that they just had to try again. So, I think our programming, our strength is (that) we're giving them the opportunity to fail, try again, grow resilience and be confident."
Here are a few upcoming events on the DREAMS schedule. For details, go to GiveToDreams.org.
- Nov. 13: Harvest Hangout Thanksgiving dinner, hosted by Northside Food Co-Op.
- Dec. 4: Fall showcase, a celebration of DREAMS' fall classes, with student art and performances.
- Feb. 26: DREAMS' Got Talent, featuring performances by students and teaching artists
- April 30: Spring showcase and DREAMS' 30th birthday
John Staton is the arts and culture reporter at the StarNews. You can reach him at jstaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How a Wilmington arts program has helped countless kids for decades
