The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation has selected Big Picture Alliance as the winner of the 2020 George Bartol Arts Education Award. Big Picture Alliance engages, educates and empowers Philadelphia youth through filmmaking and digital media arts. The Award of $5,000 is given to an organization that provides sustained, meaningful participation in the arts; that demonstrates an active engagement in the lives of its students and community; and that maintains high artistic standards for its faculty and students.
“In the past few months, we have seen how video can mobilize a movement by showing stories that are often left unseen,” says Beth Feldman Brandt, Executive Director of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation. “We are honored to recognize this program that gives young people the tools to tell the stories of their communities and themselves. “
“Winning the George Bartol Arts Education Award tells the young people we work with that their stories matter, “added Aleks Martray, Executive Director of Big Picture Alliance. “In a world where digital media is so pervasive, we teach students the power of bringing their stories to life through the craft of filmmaking. This provides a platform to uplift and amplify youth voices that are often underrepresented.”
Big Picture Alliance’s mission is to engage, educate and empower Philadelphia youth to define their own narrative through filmmaking & digital media arts. They provide transformative learning experiences and a supportive pathway for youth to have their voices heard, develop as young professionals and reach their full potential. Big Picture Alliance believes that when youth tap into their natural creativity and feel heard, they become inspired to author the script for their own future. Programs include after-school and summer programs throughout Philadelphia, workforce development, and the Teen Media Collective.
The George Bartol Arts Education Award was established in 2001 to recognize outstanding arts education programs by a non-profit cultural organization. Each year, a grant of $5,000 is made in memory of George Bartol, founder of the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation, who believed that the key to a thriving arts community was an investment in arts education. As part of its annual grant review process, the Foundation designates one grantee to receive this additional award of $5,000 to further support its arts education programs. This year’s award is made possible in part through gifts from Mr. Bartol’s children.
Read more about past awardees of the George Bartol Arts Education Award.