The Society of Illustrators in the Community

SI/NYC Parks Summer Illustration Art Academy for underserved youth ages 9-13 has been offering free art instruction/supplies since 2010.

The Society of Illustrators (SI) serves a diverse intergenerational community of artists, students, teachers, and the general public yearly through its numerous onsite and online exhibits/programs. Our constituents’ profile is estimated at 40% White, 23% African American, 20% Asian, and 15% Latinx, among others.

Creating inclusive educational initiatives is vital to advancing our mission. Efforts to expand our reach to underserved youth include our ongoing partnership with NYC Parks Afterschool Program, which began in 2002 by offering SI/Parks Drawing Academies for Grades 5-8 students; and collaborative programs with NYC High School of Art & Design, School Art League, and Exploring the Arts, Inc., which started in 2014 with our High School Career Exploration & Portfolio Building Workshops. During the pandemic in 2020, we began offering our monthly Saturday Stories Zoom Workshops for Grades K-4 students/families.

SI removes barriers to participation in these K-12 programs by providing all students with free art instruction/supplies. We are grateful to the New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, The Richard & Jean Coyne Family Foundation, and Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation for their grant funds that help supplement the ever-increasing costs of these programs.

In 2017, upon request of the NYC Department of Correction, we established our Art Academy for Youth on Rikers Island ages 18-21. This DOC-funded program is offered weekly and students are provided with free art instruction/supplies.

For more information about our community outreach efforts, contact SI Director of Programs/Partnerships Lindsay Compton at lindsay@societyillustrators.org.