PHILADELPHIA, July 29, 2024 – Fleisher Art Memorial is the proud recipient of a Robert Lehman Foundation grant for the Saturday Young Artists Program (SYAP). The $10,000 awarded grant will help to subside Fleisher’s renowned SYAP in the 2024-2025 program year, supporting young people ages 5-18 in developing artistic skills, fostering consistent engagement with the arts, encouraging self-expression, and building young people’s confidence as artists and creative individuals. Nearly 100 low-cost classes in a range of media are offered throughout the year in Fall, Winter, and Spring terms, allowing children and youth to participate in various hands-on art-making experiences in a supportive and enriching environment. Fleisher is excited to offer two new programs this year, including Accessible Art: K-5th Grade, designed for students with developmental disabilities who would benefit from a smaller class size and specialized curriculum. This class will explore materials and processes by scaffolding projects based on a student’s individual needs and Jewelry and Metal Art: 9th-12th Grade, where students will be introduced to fundamental techniques including sawing, cold-connections, soldering, chainmaking, hollow fabrication, as well as surface texture and finishing. Students can expect to design and fabricate multiple finished pieces—wearable or sculptural—such as pendants, rings, chain bracelets, metal boxes, earrings, or pins.

About the Robert Lehman Foundation – The Robert Lehman Foundation’s goal is to further Robert Lehman’s charitable vision, supporting the visual arts in ways that enhance the appreciation, knowledge, and enjoyment of this vital aspect of our culture. The Foundation supports museum exhibitions, art education programs, scholarly publications, capital projects, and art history lectureships that complement the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and advance the goal of identifying the Foundation with serious scholarly and creative endeavors.

About Fleisher Art Memorial – Founded by industrialist Samuel S. Fleisher in 1898 as one of the nation’s first community-based art centers, Fleisher Art Memorial is renowned for its long-standing mission of making art accessible regardless of economic means, background, or artistic experience. Fleisher provides free and low-cost studio art classes and opportunities for emerging and seasoned artists to exhibit their work. Extensive arts education and community-based programming also reflect the organization’s commitment to strengthening communities by developing, sharing, and promoting creative resources.

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Media Contact
Monica Zimmerman
Executive Director
Fleisher Art Memorial
mzimmerman@fleisher.org
215-922-3456