~ ArtsYES ~
East Side Arts Council’s ArtsYES (Arts for Youth on the East Side) program brings high-quality, professional arts experiences to East Side children, engaging them in their surroundings while building self-esteem, creative skills, and promoting academic success.

The hope for our diverse and struggling community lies within our youngest assets- our youth. Youth who are engaged in structured, quality programs during times of the day when high-risk activities take place often gain an improved academic outlook and as a result perform better in school. Summer proves to be an especially challenging time to meet this need for our youth, when a few hours after school grow to entire days previously mapped out with regular, structured activities. Combining resources and expertise with our partners, ArtsYES works in part to fill this void, offering free after school and summer courses in the arts for children of all learning styles, grade levels, and abilities in schools, recreation centers and open spaces across the East Side.

There are now THREE components to ArtsYES – Afterschool Arts, the Artmobile! and EastSide KidVenture. Afterschool Arts serves skill-building art classes to more than 600 K-9th graders per year, while the Artmobile! offers drop-in art classes to over 600 children and families each summer. New this year EastSide KidVenture will engage over 100 K-6th graders and 20 high school students during 14 school-year days when the Saint Paul Public School District does not hold class. EastSide KidVenture will also host 10 weeks of arts-focused summer camp, immersing over 120 K-6th graders and 12 high school students in diverse learning themes that explore the neighborhood and engender a sense of place and pride, where art plays a valuable part in drawing the youth in and providing meaningful daylong experiences.

ArtsYES Program Goals:
  • Provide free, accessible, quality arts experiences during high-risk times of the day when youth are most vulnerable
  • Build self esteem by celebrating the accomplishments of participants
  • Engage young people in making art together with professional artists and other community members
  • Promote academic success through the arts in East Side youth


East Side St. Paul organizations interested in arts programming partnership with ESAC should contact the Program Coordinator at 651-774-5422 or esac@visi.com


Current partnerships include:
The City of Saint Paul; Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Centers; Saint Paul Public Schools; 21st Century Community Learners: Bruce F. Vento Elementary, Battle Creek Middle School, Hazel Park Middle School Academy, Monroe Arts Plus Community School, Farnsworth Aerospace Junior High School, Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary, Highwood Hills Elementary, Phalen Lake Elementary; and the east side Salvation Army.
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