I just finished reading a New Yorker article about DreamYard, an amazing arts organization in the Bronx, New York.  DreamYard was started 20 years ago to provide arts education to schools whose funding had been cut. Two actors, Jason Duchin and Tim Lord, recruited other artists to teach in public high schools.

DreamYard continues to provide arts education in schools, and now has its own DreamYard Art Centre  AND its own high school, DreamYard Preparatory School.  WOW!  Click here for a brief video about DreamYard.  (You don’t want to miss the two very articulate Grade Five poets!)

I’ve been thinking about DreamYard and Winnipeg’s Art City.  Imagine a world where every neighbourhood has an arts centre, staffed by working artists, open and welcome to everyone.

We all agree (!) that art can save the world. ( DreamYard has some very compelling statistics: 98% of their graduates from the Out of School Programs have gone to college.)  Perhaps it’s time to make fine arts education mandatory in all schools, and available in every neighbourhood.