EXPLORING THE ARTS INC
34-12 36TH STREET NO 2-100, ASTORIA, NY 11106 www.exploringthearts.org

---

Organizations Filed Purposes: FOUNDED IN 1999 BY ICONIC SINGER TONY BENNETT AND HIS WIFE SUSAN BENEDETTO, A FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER, THE MISSION OF EXPLORING THE ARTS (ETA) IS TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH ARTS EDUCATION, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM BUILD QUALITY, IN-SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS AND TO INCREASE OUT-OF-SCHOOL ARTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR STUDENTS. ETA HAS SERVED 46 PARTNER SCHOOLS TO DATE IN NEW YORK CITY AND LOS ANGELES. ETA'S PROGRAMS AND APPROACH ADDRESS THE LACK OF SUFFICIENT FUNDING FOR THE ARTS IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS AND THE LACK OF RIGOROUS ARTS PROGRAMS AND CURRICULA. ETA COLLABORATES WITH PARTNER SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TO DEVELOP A 4-YEAR PLAN THAT CREATES AND BUILDS HIGH-QUALITY, SUSTAINABLE ARTS PROGRAMMING. ETA'S TONY BENNETT ARTS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM HELPS YOUNG PEOPLE GAIN ACCESS TO DIVERSE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO DEVELOP IMPORTANT PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CAREERS IN THE ARTS.

FOUNDED BY LEGENDARY SINGER TONY BENNETT AND HIS WIFE, SUSAN BENEDETTO, THE MISSION OF EXPLORING THE ARTS (ETA) IS TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH ARTS EDUCATION, WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM BUILD QUALITY, IN-SCHOOL ARTS PROGRAMS AND TO INCREASE OUT-OF-SCHOOL ARTS OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR STUDENTS. ETA CURRENTLY SERVES 38 PARTNER SCHOOLS IN NEW YORK CITY AND LOS ANGELES.

THE 4-YEAR PLAN: IN 2019-2020 ETA COLLABORATED WITH THE PRINCIPAL AT EACH OF ITS 21 PARTNER SCHOOLS TO DEVELOP A 4-YEAR PLAN FOR EACH SCHOOL'S ARTS PROGRAM, WHICH ETA THEN HELPED FUND WITH ANNUAL GRANT. EACH PLAN IS UNIQUE, DESIGNED TO SUPPORT A PRINCIPAL-LED VISION, CENTERED ON CLEARLY ARTICULATED GOALS. ETA PROGRAM STAFF WORK AS CONSULTANTS TO PRINCIPALS, HELPING THEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A STRATEGIC, STEP-BY-STEP, SUSTAINABLE PLAN, WITH BUILT-IN ASSESSMENT, AND A PRACTICAL BUDGET. FUNDS CAN BE USED TO PAY FOR THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS IN A PLAN: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING FOR TEACHERS; PLANNING TIME FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT; IN-SCHOOL ARTIST RESIDENCIES; CLASS FIELD TRIPS; THE PURCHASE OF ARTS SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT. THE PROJECTED IMPACT FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TWOFOLD: (A) TO PROVIDE MORE RIGOROUS, STANDARDS-BASED ARTS TRAINING AND INCREASED ENGAGEMENT WITH CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS TO TRADITIONALLY UNDER-SERVED STUDENTS WHO HAVE LACKED ACCESS TO SUCH OPPORTUNITIES; AND (B) TO EMPOWER PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN QUALITY ARTS PROGRAMS IN THE FACE OF PUBLIC BUDGET CUTS AND MANDATED CURRICULUM AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS.

ETA'S ARTS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO HELP DEMYSTIFY THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD FOR STUDENTS WHO ASPIRE TO WORK IN THE ARTS AND CONNECT THEM WITH MENTORS IN THEIR FIELD OF INTEREST. WHILE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN OFTEN IDENTIFY CLEAR STEPS TOWARD A CAREER IN LAW, MEDICINE, OR EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ARE OFTEN UNSURE OF HOW TO PURSUE A CAREER IN THE ARTS AND STRUGGLE WITH FEAR AND UNCERTAINTY IN THE FACE OF THEIR DREAMS. THE PROGRAM WAS ALSO DESIGNED TO PROVIDE LOW-INCOME STUDENTS, MANY OF WHOM WILL BE THE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL AND ATTEND COLLEGE, WITH AN EXPANDED NETWORK OF TRUSTED, COLLEGE-EDUCATED ADULTS. IN 2019-2020, THE PROGRAM SERVED OVER 50 STUDENTS AND ARTS PARTNERS IN NY AND CA.

LANG ART SCHOLARS PROGRAM: THROUGH A MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT BY THE EUGENE M. LANG FOUNDATION, OVER THE SPAN OF THREE YEARS, THE PROGRAM ENGAGES TRUSTED CULTURAL PARTNERS TO PROVIDE ARTISTIC, CRAFT-BASED TRAINING TO A SELECT COHORT OF ETA PARTNER SCHOOL TEENS, WHO ALSO PARTICIPATE IN ETA'S CAREFULLY CURATED CURRICULUM OF ACTIVITIES PROVIDING TARGETED COLLEGE AND CAREER PREPARATORY SUPPORT. STRONGLY ALIGNED WITH ETA'S MISSION, EXPERTISE, AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORK, THE INITIATIVE IS ALSO WELL-ALIGNED WITH NEW YORK CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE CULTURAL PLAN, CREATENYC," WORKING TOWARD A MORE DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, AND EQUITABLE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR.

---

---

Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202111379349307251_public.xml