The Art of We: Are Family is coming up fast, so it’s time for a peek at the third and final live auction package that will be available at the event. We’re delighted to reveal our Literary and Visual Arts package, which will allow you and the Special Education classrooms at three of our Minneapolis Public Schools partners across the Twin Cities to enjoy some high-quality creative enrichment. This package is especially near and dear to our hearts, given its connection to our mission of providing access to the arts for individuals of all abilities, and its direct impact on our partner schools and the K-12 students in our programs.
For this package, Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers, a long time partner and ally of Upstream Arts who recently was named “Best Bookstore of 2017” by Publisher’s Weekly, has generously offered to make several amazing donations to three of our partner schools in honor of the winning bidder:
- Carefully curated book baskets, gift cards, and book consultations for Special Education classrooms at Edison High School and Ramsey Middle School. Because Wild Rumpus believes that everyone should see themselves reflected in literature, they will donate to these classrooms a handpicked selection of books featuring individuals with disabilities as main characters. Each classroom also will receive a $100 gift card and a consultation with Wild Rumpus, so that the teachers can buy even more books specific to the interests of students in their classrooms.
- Interactive author/illustrator visit for Special Education classrooms at Green Central Elementary School. Wild Rumpus will arrange this extraordinary opportunity for students to meet local author Trisha Speed Shaskan and illustrator Stephen Shaskan, who will sing songs and read some of their books with the students, as well as provide each student with a copy of their newest book, Q + Ray, The Case of the Missing Mola Lisa.
Stephen Shaskan and Trisha Speed Shaskan
Additionally, the winning bidder on this package will get to take home a collection of original artwork and literature donated by our Teaching Artists, including:
- A painting by Upstream Arts Teaching Artist Masanari Kawahara
- A framed photograph by Upstream Arts Teaching Artist Michele Spaise
- A framed photograph by Upstream Arts Teaching Artist Matt Guidry
- Five books authored by or featuring Upstream Arts Teaching Artist Nikki Abramson, plus a related journal and small gift package
Many thanks to Wild Rumpus, Trisha Speed Shaskan, Stephen Shaskan, and our remarkable Teaching Artists for supporting The Art of We: Are Family and the work of Upstream Arts through these generous contributions!
If you are interested in bidding on this auction item, please be sure to RSVP for the event and join us on May 18th at the American Swedish Institute. We can’t wait to see you there!