Children’s Museum Tucson has been approved for a $35,000 Grants for Arts Projects award as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ first round of fiscal year 2024 grants. The government agency offers support for art projects across the country.
Executive director Hilary Van Alsburg explained why receiving this funding was so special to the museum. “This is our first NEA grant ever,” Van Alsburg said. “... It is such an honor.”
That’s because organizations that apply for a grant aren’t guaranteed to get approved. “The grant itself is very competitive,” Van Alsburg said. “It’s a nationwide grant. So, arts organizations throughout the United States always apply for these grants.”
This time, the circumstances couldn’t have been more perfect. “We tend to apply for funding if it's a good fit for the organization,” Van Alsburg said, “Their goals with their art project grant opportunity really matched what we do here at the museum.”
CMT was founded in 1986 and moved into its current location in the historic Carnegie Library over 30 years ago.
“The Children’s Museum has been (in) Downtown Tucson since 1991,” Van Alsburg said. “We have the current Downtown location, and also our satellite location at Children’s Museum Oro Valley at Tohono Chul. Those organizations together, we serve about 187,000 people every year.”
The facility offers kids and their families 17,000 square feet to engage in “fun, play-based, interactive, hands-on learning experiences” to help them reach their full potential.
Van Alsburg explained that the funding from the NEA grant will specifically go toward CMT’s Art After Dark program. It runs 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. the second Saturday of the month. The program usually draws a crowd of 300 to 400 people with kids ranging in age from toddlers to their early teens.
“It allows families with kids of all ages to come to the Children’s Museum, and it’s very accessible,” Van Alsburg said. “The funding from the NEA and from other supporters helps to offset admission, so families can come for free.”
The extended hours also allow children in school and working parents to take advantage of the museum’s programming at a time that may be more convenient for their schedule.
Art After Dark isn’t just about making crafts either. Programs are designed to get kids on their feet and thinking creatively. Activities can include dance, musical and cultural performances that broaden their horizons and expose them to the many different facets of the southern Arizona art scene. “We want kids to be interactive,” Van Alsburg said.
“We want families to have the opportunity to do things that (are) unique to the museum.”
She also stressed the importance of informing families of other art programs in the greater Tucson area. “What we really love about (Art After Dark) is the accessibility piece,” Van Alsburg said. “The Children’s Museum is so focused on making sure we're reducing barriers to access.”
At the end of the day, Art After Dark is meant to be a gathering place where families can spend time together, get creative, and learn more about the artistic side of their local communities.
Van Alsburg said it’s all made possible thanks to funding like the NEA grant and longtime sponsorship from local entities and organizations. “We have ongoing support from Pima County, the city of Tucson, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona,” Van Alsburg said.
Families interested in participating in the Art After Dark program can learn more about what’s on each month by checking CMT’s event calendar. On Feb. 9, the museum will welcome Safford K-8 Folklorico “Los Huskies” for their evening program.
Art After Dark
WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 9
WHERE: Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Avenue, Tucson
COST: Free admission
INFO: www.childrensmuseumtucson.org
