By Betsy Brewer Brantner
Contributing Writer

The Oxford Arts Alliance has been awarded funding from the Justamere Foundation in support of its Tween Art Club. The club is an afterschool visual arts program designed specifically for youth between the ages of 10 and 14.

The Justamere Foundation’s mission is to find those areas that are under-served by traditional resources and see if they can make a bigger difference with direct involvement. Solutions might involve grants, non-traditional scholarships or simply making the right connection. They focus on four main areas of need in the community: arts education, childhood literacy and literacy, trade education, and veterans resources.

The Oxford Arts Alliance received an arts education grant, but it is important to note that when the Alliance seeks and receives a grant, they are also introducing other community agencies to sources of funding or grants that might serve their needs, too.

The Tween Art Club provides structured, supervised, and meaningful after-school creative opportunities during one of the most important stages of youth development. Meeting weekly, students build technical art skills while gaining confidence, independence, and a sense of belonging through guided instruction and personal expression.

The program was developed in response to a critical need in the Oxford community, particularly for middle-grade students who are often too old for early-childhood offerings but not yet ready for teen programs. With many local families facing financial challenges, access to affordable enrichment and consistent supervision is essential.

Through monthly themes, participants explore drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media, printmaking, and digital art. Students work toward building portfolios and presenting their work in a public showcase, reinforcing pride in accomplishment and encouraging long-term engagements in the arts.

Funding from the Justamere Foundation helps ensure the program remains accessible to families across income levels and supports high-quality instruction, supplies, and a safe learning space.

“We are deeply grateful to the Justamere Foundation for investing in Oxford’s young people,” said Vanessa Ross, president of the Oxford Arts Alliance. “This support allows us to create a place where tweens feel seen, supported, and empowered through creativity.”

The Alliance is seeking a variety of grants to continues its mission to provide inclusive arts education and cultural programming. One source of the funding is the Les Paul Foundation, which inspires innovative and creative thinking by sharing the legacy of Les Paul, a musician, sound engineer, and inventor. The activities highlighted are meant to encourage learners to use Les Paul’s story through the areas of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics.

Another source of funding is the Wallace Foundation, which believes arts education is important for its own sake. Arts education also has other benefits—it can help children build empathy, forge social bonds, and improve behavior and cognition.

When the Oxford Arts Alliance paused and began looking to relocate to a new home home, it gave Ross an opportunity to talk to people in the community and to learn what they were looking for the Alliance to do.

“We have reached out to Lincoln University and we had great conversations with them about how we can work with them,” Ross said. “They are an important resource in our community and I am excited to see what we accomplish together.”

She expects them to help her to create a full program which will include the study of black history, black artists and black music.

“I think that would work well with our mission,” she said. “I’m particularly interested in teaching our students how to paint in the style of black artists.”

Ross is very excited about the Arts Alliance’s move to the Oxford United Methodist Church.

“We now have an amazing amount of parking that is accessible for everyone. We also have more space for art and music programs. It is really a win-win situation,” she said.

Ross has been bringing in more instructors, and she feels the community is much more involved than it was before.

“We will continue to grow, build our staff, and seek grants to make the Arts Alliance is available and accessible to everyone in the community,” Ross said. “We will also be working on our website to make it easier to see and join the programs we have planned.

For more information on the Arts Alliance, you can contact Vanessa Ross at 610-467-1800.