The arts bring some of the best things in life. Engagement. Innovation. Identity. Joy. We know the benefits of the arts. We also know not everyone receives the same opportunities to experience, enjoy, and engage with the arts. That is why Lincoln Arts strives to promote accessible arts experiences and opportunities for all. And that is why Lincoln Arts makes a point of using the arts to better people's — all people's — lives.

Lincoln Arts' upstArt Arts Engagement Program is here to connect those who can most benefit from the arts with access to arts programming and to harness the power of the arts to help invoke positive social change and build community. Because of the generosity of donors like you and the support of our partners, upstArt has made waves in Lincoln, tripling the number of projects in the past year. Because of your continued generosity and the ongoing support of new partners, we have the opportunity to double our offerings yet again, from 46 community-wide arts experiences, to 95. Our formalized collaborations with schools, service providers, and public spaces have extended and will continue to extend our reach while deepening our impact. For it is through these partnerships — and through your support — that upstArt can make our community a better and more inclusive place.

In collaboration with Lincoln Public Schools, we have a presence in nearly 30 Community Learning Centers, in which we provide free arts instruction. With your support, we can offer 43 in-school arts experiences for under-resourced students in all sectors of Lincoln each year.

Through partnerships with social service and public organizations, like CEDARS and The Bridge, we bring the arts to populations who may not otherwise get to experience the joy only the arts can offer. With your support, we can continue to integrate the arts into the framework of services so many residents of the Lincoln community need and receive by partnering with 16 service providers.

By developing inclusive, community-wide initiatives, like an arts residency at Gateway Mall, we can connect the broader public of Lincoln to the arts. With your support, we can promote access to inclusive arts experiences in more than a dozen locations to be enjoyed by any and everyone in Lincoln and beyond.

With your support, we can help 20 local organizations utilize the arts to further their missions through our upstArt Grant initiative.

And with you and your love for the arts, we can empower everyone through the arts.

Because the arts are a human right. The arts affect everyone. The arts make our community a better place to live, to work, to thrive, and Lincoln Arts is here to make sure everyone here continues to have access to all the arts have to offer.