Art Belongs, a Statewide Campaign for Arts Education in Colorado

DENVER, November 10th, 2026 – Ask the students at Dora Moore Elementary what music class means to them, and they will tell you it is where they can express themselves, where they belong and where no one judges them. One student put it simply: practice does not make perfect, it makes permanent.

Those students learn music through a partnership between their school and Education Through Music-Colorado (ETMC), a grant partner of Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth (EAL). Across Colorado, many young people never get that chance.

Today, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation launches Art Belongs, a statewide campaign to make the case that arts learning belongs in every young person’s education. The campaign will address arts education as a whole while featuring EAL, the collaborative grant program funded by Colorado Creative Industries, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and Denver Arts & Venues, and administered by Think 360 Arts for Learning. The campaign runs through spring 2027.

Colorado has no statewide arts instruction requirement at the elementary, middle or high school level. As a result, access to arts learning depends largely on where a family lives. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of credentialed arts teachers in Colorado fell by about 5%, roughly 150 teachers. Over that same period, 164 of the state’s 187 school districts had no certified drama or theatre teacher, according to Think 360 Arts for Learning. ‍

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Today, on average, Colorado has one licensed arts teacher for every 254 students.

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That matters because the benefits of arts learning are well documented. Students engaged in the arts show higher attendance, higher graduation rates and fewer behavioral incidents. They learn to think critically and creatively, and they build empathy, confidence and a stronger sense of belonging. In early childhood, arts learning supports cognitive and social-emotional development.

“Educators and parents already know the arts are foundational to a child’s development. We created this campaign to turn that knowledge into real access for every student,” said Anthony Grimes, Director of Communications and Policy at Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.

“Teaching artists, educators and organizations are working to close the gaps in arts education. Art Belongs lifts up their work and brings our community together to imagine what comes next.” said James-Allan Holmes, President and CEO of Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.

Now in its third year, EAL has invested more than $1.3 million in arts learning statewide. Last cycle it awarded grants of $10,000 to $25,000 to 24 schools and organizations across 11 Colorado counties, supporting music, theatre, dance, visual arts, digital media, storytelling and literature within schools and with other partner organizations. Organizations looking to apply this year are encouraged to submit their letter of intent by November 20th.

“This year’s grant partners are reaching students in Denver classrooms, in rural Southwest Colorado and even in youth shelters, the places where arts learning is hardest to find. That’s exactly where Equity in Arts Learning was built to go,” said Adam Kullberg, Executive Director of Think 360 Arts for Learning.

“We’ve seen what happens in student’s lives when a teaching artist comes back week after week. Students show up, and they start to picture a future in creative work. A kid in a mountain town or on the Western Slope deserves that same shot as a kid in Denver, and Equity in Arts Learning is how we’re getting there,” said Josh Blanchard, Director of Colorado Creative Industries.

“Every artist who will ever play Red Rocks or take the stage at the Denver Performing Arts Complex started out as a kid who got a chance. Equity in Arts Learning opens the door for those opportunities in Denver classrooms like Dora Moore, and Art Belongs lets us show the whole city what that investment looks like,” said Gretchen Hollrah, Executive Director of Denver Arts & Venues.

Over the coming months, Art Belongs will share stories, research and ways to get involved:

• Journalism: A series of articles profiling leaders in arts education across Colorado, written by Lisa Kennedy and the Foundation’s resident journalists.
• Film: A film series produced by Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and directed by Anthony Grimes, beginning with Education Through Music-Colorado at Dora Moore Elementary. View the first Art Belongs feature film about ETMC and Dora Moore.
• Research: New data on the value of arts education, published and shared directly with educators, funders and policymakers. View the Art Belongs landing page.
• Summit: An arts education convening in March 2027, during Colorado’s designated Arts Education Month, presented with the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA). It will bring together educators, families, arts organizations, funders and policymakers to shape the future of arts education in Colorado.

EAL’s funding partners are also inviting foundations and businesses to join the collaborative.

"The need for arts education funding across the state and for EAL projects is significant. With increased resources, we could support more teaching artists working directly with youth across all artistic disciplines," said Gina Ferrari, Director of Grants Programs at Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. “We welcome new partners at the table."

Schools and organizations can submit a letter of intent for the next EAL grant cycle through Nov. 20 at think360arts.org/grants.

Learn more at bonfils-stantonfoundation.org/art-belongs.

Find still photos for use in reporting on this story at this link. 2026 Dora Moore ETMC Stills Please credit “Courtesy of Bonfils-Stanton Foundation”

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About Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth

Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth is a statewide collaborative grant program funded by Colorado Creative Industries, Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and Denver Arts & Venues, and administered by Think 360 Arts for Learning. Launched in 2023, EAL awards grants of $10,000 to $25,000 to schools and organizations that bring professional teaching artists and culture bearers into PreK-12 schools and community settings for young people ages 4 to 21. Learn more at think360arts.org/grants.

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About Education Through Music-Colorado

Education Through Music-Colorado (ETM-CO) is a multiyear grant recipient of Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth. ETM-CO partners with under-resourced schools to integrate sustained, high-quality music education into the school day, reaching more than 8,500 students across the Denver metro area since 2019. At Dora Moore, Denver’s oldest public school, ETM-CO has helped bring music education back to classrooms through a partnership established in 2024. Learn more at etmcolorado.org.

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About Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation believes extraordinary arts and leadership are essential to building a vibrant Colorado. The Foundation strategically invests in imagination and innovation because cultivating the creative spark strengthens communities and makes Colorado a place where people want to live, work, and thrive. Since its founding, the Foundation has distributed more than $100 million in charitable contributions. Learn more at bonfils-stantonfoundation.org.

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Media Contact

Anthony Grimes, Director of Communications & Policy
anthony@bonfils-stanton.org | 303.825.3774 ext. 105

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Logos:

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‍Equity in Arts Learning for Colorado Youth | Education Through Music-Colorado | Colorado Creative Industries | Denver Arts & Venues | Think 360 Arts for Learning | Colorado Business Committee for the Arts

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