Dry Canyon Arts Association has a big goal: to jumpstart art education for every elementary school child in Redmond. For the past few years, Dry Canyon Arts Association (or DCAA) has offered an art education project to one or two elementary schools each year, largely funded through their semi-annual art show raffles. But this year, DCAA has taken it upon itself, through a new initiative called Jumpstart Art, to provide art education to every elementary school child in Redmond. 

Jumpstart Art’s goal is to provide a three- to five-class art project to each Redmond elementary school student through an artist-in-residence program. Art projects will be coordinated with each school and designed to complement the class curriculum. As the cost of such an undertaking dwarfs any such fund-raising project attempted by DCAA in the past, DCAA board members have pursued grant funding as well as relied on the community spirit of Redmond citizens and businesses to fill in the rest.

One popular funding source is DCAA’s semi-annual art show raffle. “DCAA members have been more than generous in the past couple years by donating some absolutely priceless pieces of art to our raffle,” said Jay Lowndes, DCAA events chair. “This year the art pieces are above and beyond. Our artists have really stepped up because they know their donations are going to help the kids.” Raffle tickets will be available for purchase during the DCAA Art Show and Sale, Saturday and Sunday, November 16th and 17th. Art Show goers will be able to choose which art items they wish to win should their raffle ticket be pulled.

Art donated for the raffle include art prints, original art pieces, fused glass, wood carvings, photography, jewelry, and more. All proceeds will go to Dry Canyon’s Jumpstart Art program to fund art education in elementary schools. 

This November 16th and 17th, the Dry Canyon Arts Association is putting their mission of art education front and center again at the Fall Art Show & Sale at the Redmond High School Commons. At last spring’s art show, more than 35 high school artists showed and sold their drawings, paintings and pottery to a steady stream of community art lovers. This fall, the area at the front of the commons will again be reserved for Redmond’s finest high school artists. DCAA members are looking forward to seeing the 2024-2025 school year’s young artists and creators reveal their newest works at the show which runs Saturday November 16th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday, November 17th, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.