The Arts facet of service focuses on the performing, visual and creative arts with an emphasis on the preservation of our African-American cultural heritage, sharing our history and fostering creativity. Over the past 45 years, The Arts has been a passion for the Missouri City (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. Our mission is to educate, expose and provide students with varied, interactive experiences in the Arts.
Creative StARTS
There is a most pressing and urgent need to realize the brilliance and resilience of children from historically marginalized communities, through the Arts. Most have limited, if any, access to resources and opportunities to learn, pursue and fully maximize the benefits of the Arts. There is physical, scientific evidence that the Arts engage the mind in novel ways, tap into our emotions in healthy ways, help children with the development of motor skills, language skills, social skills, decision-making skills, risk-taking and inventiveness, connect students with their own culture as well as the wider world. Art also has the ability to heal, restore and empower.
Our Creative StARTS program was designed to provide students from 4 Houston schools and one Houston housing development with enrichment activities so they have all the advantages of an art education. These students, families and schools were located in zip codes that were determined to be of highest need in the Houston area.
The program focuses on 3 forms of art: Poetry, Dance & Painting. During 2022-2024, members of the Missouri City (TX) Chapter of The Links Incorporated, partnered with many community organizations to showcase the accomplishments of Black women artists, introduce students to The Obama Portraits Tour, the life & art of Van Gogh, art therapy through Sound Bath, step dancing, demonstrate how they can tell their story by creating Mood Boards, host school tours to see the Kinsey African American Art Exhibit and the Kehinde Wiley exhibit, and presented an opportunity for students to be taught by an American art scholar.
Through the Creative StARTS program, we have been able to positively impact over 600 students (virtually and in person). We will continue to add to our art agenda to stay current with trends, yet comprehensively covering all art through the ages. More importantly, Creative StARTS will continue to introduce students to various art forms that are healing, empowering and restoring.