Client Feature: Artists Creating Together
At Swift, we love to work with local businesses but there is always something special about working with local organizations that give back to our community. Thankfully, we get a little bit of both! Most recently, we got to know Artists Creating Together (ACT), a local organization based in Grand Rapids that empowers individuals with disabilities to learn, grow, and celebrate through the arts.
photo courtesy of ACT
ALL ARTS, ALL ABILITIES
ACT connects Teaching Artists with individuals who have disabilities at all life stages. Their specially-trained instructors are professional working artists who provide unique programming to students with different needs in a variety of settings. Their programs include partnerships with local rehabilitation hospitals, community-wide educational events, art and creative expression classes and more.
photo courtesy of ACT
A BUDDING COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP
Most art projects need paper, and that’s exactly how this story begins. Our president, Jes Gutowski-Slaydon, first heard about ACT when she attended a fundraiser last spring. The fundraiser was an interactive way for community members to see some of the opportunities offered through ACT programming (think: a drum circle, ukulele playing and printmaking stations).
If you know Jes, you know that’s exactly the time she struck up a conversation with Angela Steele, executive director at ACT. Through their conversations, Angela told Jes about their wheelchair painting events at schools. The ACT team covers entire gymnasium floors in rolls of paper and students, using adaptive equipment from Zot Artz, use wheelchairs to create art on the paper. After the paint dries, the paper is cut up to make a variety of final pieces, including things like greeting cards for auction, a large piece for installation at the school, and a special print for the event’s title sponsor.
At these events, students are also able to make their own poster-size print using the same adaptive equipment – this is where Swift came in! For an event at Pine Grove Learning Center, Swift printed poster-sized branded rectangle sheets of paper for students to paint at the event and take home.
“We loved working with Swift on this project and were thrilled to find a local printing partner so interested in community partnerships and willing to share resources,” said Angela.
SWIFT PRINTING: ALL THAT THE NAME IMPLIES
At Swift, we love paper. We love paper so much that when we get projects that result in scrap paper that feels like it could have a second use somewhere, we hold onto it! When we did a project for Bridge Street Market in 2022, this is exactly what happened. We ended up with thousands of pieces of scrap paper practically begging to be used again! So, as a team we decided to hold onto them and waited for the day they could be used again.
When she met Angela, scrap paper for small art workshops seemed to be a need they might have – and she was right! Through ACT, we were able to donate a variety of perfectly-sized pieces of scrap paper to be turned into frameable art pieces.
“We are so glad that Swift is willing to go out and learn more about local area nonprofits and then turn those relationships into ways to give back to the community and the environment,” said Angela. “The scrap paper was perfect for our students and a great way for Swift to be more green and lean.”
If you’re interested in getting involved with ACT, check out their website or their wishlist that includes asks for gently used art equipment.
