Winthrop Art Association Makes Donation to School Art Department

Special to the Transcript

Recently it was brought to the attention of the Winthrop Art Association that the art programs at the local schools needed art supplies to ensure a successful year. After contacting the Winthrop Public Schools Art Department, with the full support of the Board of Directors, Winthrop Art Association President Dawn Mahoney started a campaign to collect Art Supplies to donate directly to the Winthrop Art Program. 

To date a van of supplies will be dropped off at the school. Donations of over $1600 were also collected and will be used to purchase art supplies and materials required for a successful art program.

Statistics show that students who participate in art, music, creative expression, theater and similar programs perform better than their peers. They are more attentive, test at higher levels, have better grades and show more overall promise than students who do not have these resources in their schools.

In a press release, the Winthrop Art Association stated that they would hope that in the future the Town and School Department would ensure adequate funding for these programs and that teachers are not able to purchase supplies for the entire system. 

The Winthrop Art Association stated that it views this type of contribution as part of its mission and are very appreciative that the local community stepped up to fill the void.

Anyone interested in donating to this project or other activities of the Winthrop Art Association, please contact the Winthrop Art Association at (617) 846-2644 or email winthroparts02152@gmail.com. Supplies may be dropped off at 49 Bartlett Road, Winthrop, MA.

At a recent School Committee meeting, Superintendent of Schools Lisa Howard stated that the district appreciations all donations made by groups or individuals, and urged anyone interested in making donations to the schools to contact the building principals first to make sure the donations are made and distributed in the best way possible.