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“I heard Sitka’s interview on OPB,” Jacqueline, a recent workshop attendee, calls out to me, waving and smiling from across campus as I head into the office. “I listened to it twice. It’s amazing what Sitka is doing.”
Her feedback means more to me than she knows. As we stand together under the Sitka canopy, our conversation reaffirms how vital creative outlets are—at every age and stage of life—and especially in times of uncertainty.
In 2020, as a new virus spread exponentially, threatening our loved ones and livelihoods, as protests erupted in urban centers and as wildfires ravaged the rural West, Sitka saw opportunity amidst the disruption and looked to the future. What began as a seedling of an idea—to bring free, high-quality art and ecology-inspired education to our nearest schools—has since grown into a region-wide program, reaching and connecting thousands of underserved students across Clatsop, Tillamook and Lincoln counties. Just as forest fires clear the way for new growth, those difficult years led Sitka to something more hopeful and regenerative than we could have imagined.
Next month, when the 2024-2025 K-8 Create program begins, it will mark its own exponential growth. From serving 500 students in two local schools, we now reach over 5,000 students across 17 schools in nine districts and three coastal counties. As a result, our team is growing, too. In this newsletter, you’ll meet the new team of art instructors who will deliver Sitka’s original K-8 Create curriculum in their own rural communities and schools.
“Our growth is exponential, but it is also intentional,” says Leeauna Perry, Sitka’s Youth Program Director. “It’s fueled by a shared belief that creativity is a human right, not a luxury. Rural educators face so many systemic barriers to make time for art, but when Sitka partners with a school to remove those barriers, the support for art is overwhelming.”
Systemic change doesn’t happen by accident. From the start, Perry has listened deeply to the teachers, students and families we serve. Under her leadership, the K-8 Create curriculum has evolved to address not only art history and artistic skills, but also social issues like housing insecurity and community belonging, giving students a platform to express themselves and see their experiences reflected in the art they create. “The deep community support for this program reminds us that art isn’t just for those who can afford a Sitka workshop; it’s a universal tool for everyone to understand and shape the world around them.”
A recent article by the Tillamook County Pioneer reports on K-8 Create’s growth and impact.
“One of my favorite parts of partnering with new schools is when they realize we serve special needs students too – that everyone in their care is included,” Perry observes. “There’s a sense of shared purpose as the school year starts… I’m so proud of these schools and the K-8 Create team. The north-central coast is leading the way.”
Jessamyn West, Executive Director of the Astoria Arts and Movement Center, who helped advocate for K-8 Create’s expansion into Clatsop County, echoes this sentiment: “We know that young people who engage in the arts tend to excel across all disciplines. But more importantly, there are profound social benefits.” The photo essay at the bottom of this newsletter includes moments from a belly dancing workshop series West led as part of Sitka’s summer enrichment day camp in partnership with Nestucca Valley K-8.
“Hopefully I inspired the kids,” West reflects on her teaching residency, “but what I’ve realized is how much they have truly been my teachers.”
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