Art Center Sarasota has been selected as one of seven recipients for a $109,000 Impact100 SRQ grant at the fifth Annual Celebration & Award Ceremony, held Nov. 8th at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium. The event featured presentations by 10 finalists, seven of which were chosen, through a vote by members, to receive grants of $109,000 each. Kinsey Robb, ACS’s executive director, explains that the grant will support ACS’s Youth Digital Art Lab and Classroom Upgrade initiative, which will expand the center’s youth programs to include digital technology and upgrade classroom spaces to improve enrollment capacity and teaching efficiency. "We are beyond thrilled to have been chosen for this grant and grateful to the members of Impact100 SRQ for championing the arts community,” says Kinsey Robb. "Impact100 SRQ is making a monumental impact in our community—within five years it has become the fasting growing chapter in the world, which speaks to the impressive local philanthropic culture. We thank each of the 763 members of Impact100 SRQ for this incredible opportunity." Robb explains that the proposed initiative will create affordable and accessible opportunities outside of school for youth to receive training in visual arts. “While we excel at offering traditional classes in painting, watercolor, and collage, we understand digital art is an increasingly important field in higher education and career advancement.,” says Robb. “Creating opportunities for students to explore photography, animation, graphics, visual effects and more can inspire a child to pursue digital art in college or as a career.” Robb adds that this initiative will provide 360 kids with digital training throughout the year. This, coupled with classroom upgrades will benefit more than 2,000 youth a year. “Our adult students will also have access to the new lab – during the week, while kids are in school we will be offering digital courses and lab hours at affordable rates to adults, this will help sustain instruction and maintenance of the lab.” “Access to arts education is crucial to a child’s development, shaping their earliest notions of what culture is; art engages a child’s senses in open-ended play and supports the development of cognitive, social-emotional, and multisensory skills,” says Robb. “Unfortunately, many arts programs are being reduced or eliminated altogether, restricting youth from delving into the creative process. This program seeks to address some of these gaps.” The six other Impact100 SRQ grant recipients are: Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.; the Paul A. and Veronica H. Gross Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida; Legal Aid of Manasota, Inc.; Teen Court of Sarasota, Inc.; Easterseals Southwest Florida; and Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the Suncoast. The Impact100 SRQ Grant will cover 85% of Art Center Sarasota’s initiative with the balance funded through donor gifts. For more information about the initiative and ways to contribute, contact call 941-365-2032. Art Center Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, www.artsarasota.org.