They make a way. - Maryland Institute College of Art

Sarah Tooley ’09 MA, COMMUNITY ARTS
Director, 901 Arts / Baltimore, MD
“Sometimes it means encouraging youth to come up with their
own programming ideas and helping them implement those
ideas in a safe and fun way. I still want to combine arts and
social justice and make an impact in the world for the better.”
When Sarah Tooley arrived at MICA, she was
determined to find a way to combine her passion
for social justice with her desire to create. By the
time she received an MA in Community Arts in 2009,
she had a vision for doing so that would transform
the way some Baltimore residents view their
neighborhood.
As part of a residency while at MICA, Tooley
taught at 901 Arts, an organization founded
through a successful partnership between MICA
and community leaders in the 14th District of
Baltimore that provides free afterschool
programs in art and music to children in the
Better Waverly neighborhood.
After graduating in 2009, Tooley approached 901
Arts with a proposition. If they could raise about
$5,000 to demonstrate community commitment,
she would be able to stay on board through
MICA’s Community Art Corps (CAC) program –
an AmeriCorps service program that places artists
in community-based organizations in Baltimore
city neighborhoods.
TO ENSURE THAT 901 ARTS HAS ALL OF THE
RESOURCES THAT IT NEEDS, TOOLEY RELIES ON A
NUMBER OF SKILLS, MANY OF WHICH SHE LEARNED
WHILE AT MICA, SUCH AS HOW TO IDENTIFY KEY
PLAYERS IN THE FUNDING COMMUNITY AND HOW
TO WRITE GRANT PROPOSALS.
Her creativity comes in handy, too, not only to help
her conceptualize visual arts projects, but also to
LEFT: Sarah Tooley ’09 works with young people participating in a 901 Arts creative project.
help her create effective fundraising strategies
that allow potential funders and supporters to see
the value of the organization’s work.
On a typical morning, one might find Tooley
wearing her fundraising hat, but she could just as
easily be building relationships with members of
the community or developing a marketing and
outreach strategy. She has also recruited many
of the organization’s volunteers: there are currently
nearly 70, some of whom come through MICA’s
Community Arts Partnership Office. In addition
to her administrative tasks, Tooley must develop
programs that appeal to the youth who take part
in the program. Approximately 70 first- through
twelfth-graders participate in 901 Arts’ activities
in a given year. Tooley strives to empower them
to develop their creative license.
Among the projects the organization has completed
with community youth is the Sea Creature Storm
Drain project, in which students painted sidewalk
murals of sea life around neighborhood storm drains.
The effort was meant to bring attention to the
impact of street trash and litter on underwater life.
Tooley’s ability to promote herself as an artist
and her ability to sell creative ideas have proven
just as important to 901 Arts’ success as her
ability to teach an art class or see a street mural
to completion. While she is happy with her success
this far, Tooley continues to look for new ways to
bring art to the community.
EMPOWERMENT
MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART 2012 ANNUAL REPORT
73