MEDIA CONTACT:

Vanessa Ormsby, RCA Communications Manager

(361) 729-5519 / vanessa@rockportartcenter.com

FREE YOUTH ART PROGRAMS AT ROCKPORT CENTER FOR THE ARTS — NO KIDDING

Unleash Creativity! serves thousands of area youth each year; 2025 funding effort now underway

ROCKPORT, Texas (Nov. 22, 2024) — Committed to inspiring the next generation of creative thinkers and artists, Rockport Center of the Arts is busy finalizing its 2025 programs for Unleash Creativity!, its popular free youth education initiative.

Unleash Creativity! provides free quality art education throughout the year with a variety of programs designed for aspiring artists — art camp, filmmaking, dance and culinary classes, and more.

RCA youth program enrollment, representing thousands of contact hours, has continued to climb. In 2023, RCA hosted 3,650 students in various programs, a 52% increase over 2022; through October of this year, 6,400 students have participated, representing a 75% year-over-year increase.

“We are proud to provide invaluable opportunities for young people to explore their creativity, build confidence, and cultivate a sense of community and belonging through their involvement with the Arts,” said Laura Vogel, education director for RCA. “Unleash Creativity! enhances the quality of life for our local children by providing a supportive environment where every child can discover their unique voice and potential.  We are committed to continuing these efforts, knowing that the Arts play a crucial role in shaping well-rounded, empathetic, and innovative future leaders.”

 The Unleash Creativity! 2025 FREE Youth Art Education Campaign is now underway to raise $200,000 by year’s end to fund eight hallmark programs scheduled for 2025.

“Our youth initiative grows in size and scope every year along with the need,” said Luis Purón, executive director of RCA. “We are blessed to live in such a supportive community with generous donors, including our ‘angel investors’ who have already pledged matching dollar-for-dollar contributions for the first $70,000 raised, meaning many individual donations are having a double impact. We encourage everyone to visit our RCA website to donate to this worthwhile initiative that makes such a difference in our community.

“I take pride in many things about Rockport Center for the Arts, including the new facilities, the fact we don’t charge admission, and that we offer all our youth programs for free, which, of the three, is the one I am most proud of.”

Unleash Creativity! 2025 programs include:

 1. ArtSpace Summer Camp: A week-long art camp for 1st–8th grade children.

2. Free Family Saturdays: A year-long drop-in program for all ages bringing families together to create art, lasting memories and a take-home project.

3. Young Chefs Classes and Summer Camp – Where Food Science Meets the Culinary Arts: A year-round after-school program and summer camp for 4th and 5th graders combining food science with culinary arts to promote healthy food choices.

4. Ballet Classes and Summer Camp: A year-long after-school program and summer camp for 1st–8th grade children, taught by a professional ballerina to promote strength, positive body image, and self-confidence.

5. Breakdancing Summer Camp: A summer camp that builds strength, positive body image, and self-confidence in K-12 youth, instructed by an award-winning breakdancer.

6. Young Filmmakers of Tomorrow: A spring semester program for high school students covering all aspects of film creation — from writing and acting to editing — under the guidance of a professional filmmaker, actor, and writer. The finished film is screened at the annual Rockport Film Festival in the fall.

For more information on the Unleash Creativity! 2025, including becoming a donor, visit rockportartcenter.com follow RCA on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519.

About Rockport Center for the Arts

The new 1.2-acre Rockport Center for the Arts, the Coastal Bend’s first multidisciplinary arts organization, is located a block away from Aransas Bay in the heart of the Rockport Cultural Arts District. Designed by the award-winning team at Richter Architects, the state-of-the-art campus features a two-story, 14,000-square-foot, visual arts and education building with four galleries and five classrooms (204 S. Austin St.); The Rockport Conference Center, a one-story, 8,000-square-foot conference and event center, known as The ROCC, (106 S. Austin St.); with a 16,000-square-foot Sculpture Garden serving as a visually inspiring transition space between the two buildings. The hours of operation for the showroom, galleries, and gift shop are Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday from noon–4 p.m. Admission is always free. For information on event space, or to book an event, call (361) 450-8033. For general information and to become a member, visit rockportartcenter.com, follow RCA on Facebook, or call (361) 729-5519.

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