BOULDER, CO.- In a new community outreach program, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA) has partnered with the Family Learning Center and the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation to provide arts educational opportunities for Boulder at-risk youth and their families. The program, Art Stop on the Go, is designed to support youth education and avenues for creative expression. The museum’s programmatic concept developed from a close dialogue with the collaborating organizations addressing specific needs and goals not already met within their own program offerings. Art Stop on the Go currently offers a school year and summer schedule for both organizations, including weekly art-making sessions, museum visits, and visiting artist and student interactions. On Tuesday, December 2 at 6pm, the school-year program will present student artwork in a gallery-like environment at Trident Booksellers and Cafe on West Pearl Street in Boulder. The exhibit will be on view through the end of the year.

The Family Learning Center (FLC), located in the San Juan Del Centro assisted-housing community in Boulder for over 25 years, serves as a substantial resource for at-risk youth and their families by providing a variety of after-school tutorial, mentorship, sports, cultural and art programs as well as computer and technological/internet access programs. In addition, The Family Learning Center provides full-day summer recreational programs. In the summer of 2007, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art hosted 40 elementary-aged youth from The Family Learning Center, offering a tour of the museum’s exhibits. After further discussion between the FLC elementary school program director and BMoCA’s education director, a site-visit to the Family Learning Center was made in the fall of 2007, involving art instruction and projects for the FLC students during their after-school program.

The Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation is a long-term drop out prevention program for youth from disadvantaged communities in the Metro Denver area. The foundation provides mentoring, one-on-one academic assistance & homework help, college visits, college prep activities & life skills development, community service & service learning projects, cultural, recreational & sporting activities. As with the Family Learning Center, the I Have a Dream Foundation has been a long-time collaborator with BMoCA, working with the Young Artists at Work program to identify “dreamers” for tuition-assistance in attending summer art workshops.

Art Stop on the Go was born out of the museum’s desire to continue partnering with local organizations and further develop the artistic opportunities available for at-risk youth.