Our Mission
"Provide enriching and therapeutic art education experiences. Foster an appreciation and understanding of the visual arts in the community through creative cultural engagement. Provide opportunities for working artists."
Outreach Program
Introducing our newest outreach program... Alpha Home is a spiritually-based substance abuse treatment and support program for women and their families to help prepare them to become productive members of society. Alpha Home provides women with an affordable safe haven where they can identify and overcome the core issues underlying their chemical addictions, regain their independence, and rejoin their communities as healthy, whole women. Alpha Home is highly respected both locally and nationally, for treating chemically dependent women.
The purpose of the collaborative effort between Inspire Community Fine Art Center and Alpha Home is to offer therapeutic and educational art services that provide a constructive outlet for emotions, help in developing unique talents and abilities, and provide an alternative method for coping with future difficulties. There are 400 women participating in the program over a 1 year period. The program is provided at no charge to the participants. To visit Alpha Home on the web go to alphahome.org.
Inspire Outreach in the Community: Inspire currently has four other outreach programs in the city of San Antonio:
- The Bexar County Children's Courthouse, providing art activities for children/youth who are waiting for their family case to be decided.
- The Southwest Mental Health Center, providing an art program with a therapeutic approach for the children/youth who are temporary residents of their facility.
- After school art classes with 5 primary schools in NEISD. Instructors go twice week to work with the children participating in the after school care program.
- SAMM Transitional Living and Learning Center, providing art classes every week for the children and families residing at the facility.
Thank you to the foundations who generously support Inspire Community Programs! - Brackenridge Foundation, Douglass Foundation, Walthall Charitable Trust, KCI Servant's Heart Foundation, The Greehey Family Foundation, Najim Family Foundation, Orsinger Foundation, San Antonio Area Foundation, Zachry Foundation, and the Friends of Bexar County Child Welfare Board.
About Us
Inspire-Community Fine Art Center for San Antonio was incorporated in March 2005.
The Visual Art Education Program at the Center offers individuals ages 6-70+ classes in ceramics, technical and artistic welding, painting, drawing, jewelry making, and sculpture. In addition, a summer art camp, free family art days and discounted classes for seniors are offered.
The Center’s community outreach program, Art for Wholeness, began in 2006. The purpose of the program is to help children and adults cope with difficulties through a creative and constructive manner in order to promote wholeness and healing. The program helps enhance personal growth, deepen self-awareness, and offers a constructive outlet for handling emotional distress.
The Art for Wholeness Program is comprised of five projects:
- Bexar County Children’s Courthouse Art Program
- The Art for Growth – Southwest Mental Health Center for children with emotional challenges
- Enhancing Lives Program for homeless children at SAMM Ministries’ Transitional Living and Learning Center
- Art After-School Program for low-income children in five primary schools in NEISD
- Art at Alpha Home for women in recovery from drug dependency
Inspire commits itself to maintaining a welcoming environment for all people and extends its welcome in particular to those who may be vulnerable to discrimination on the basis of their race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, disabilities, or sexual orientation.
Board Members: Dr. Jane Appleby – President , Ms. Gail Clowe – Secretary, Ms. Pam Braha, Ms. Mitzi Vaughn-Hensley, Ms. Cyndi Lacroix, Ms. Jennifer Sakiewicz, Mr. John Shaffer, Mr. Mark Stoeltje and Mr. Cody Vance Advisory Board: Mr. Kip Morrison, Mr. & Mrs. Alan & Kristy Petlin, Dr. Edward P. Sakiewicz
Our Staff
Executive Director: Susan Montagna
Studio Manager: Tracy Oliver-Rojo
Our Instructors:
Linda Bowling, Terry Lopez de Castilla, Keith Cheshire, Toni Cheshire, Cros, John Edmundson, AnaLuisa Fuentes, Nancy Cavender-Garcia, Jason Gonzales, Charles Ingram, Scott Kitchens, Ricardo Lara, Dan McBain, Helene Merren, Kathleen Messina, Lana Middleman Audrey Leigh-Nightingale, Patti Reed, Howard Rhoder, Allegra Rose, Michael Saul, David Sellars, Phil Simpson and Chris Tilton.