Arts Education

Fresh Artists is a nonprofit working to address declining funding for public school visual arts programming through corporate partnerships. Its model gives students a chance to become philanthropists in their own right: students donate their artwork, and in exchange for a business's donation, that artwork is reproduced and installed in the company's office. More than 4,200 students have contributed work this way, and the donations that follow go directly toward art supplies and programs for underfunded schools.

This year, Briar Hill Foundation introduced Fresh Artists to the School District of Lancaster (SDoL), beginning a new partnership between the two organizations. SDoL students contributed the artwork for the first installation to come out of that partnership. The arrangement gives students an audience beyond the classroom and school hallways, while helping fund supplies for their art teachers.

That installation is now on display at River Wealth Advisors' new Lancaster office. River Wealth recently opened the location as part of its expanding presence in the city and chose to fill the space with work from students in the district it now calls home. It's a small decision with a direct effect: the company gets original, locally rooted artwork, and the school district gets support for its art programs.

In recognition of this new partnership, Briar Hill Foundation named Fresh Artists a 2026 Impact Grant recipient. The grant reflects our commitment to sustaining access to high-quality arts education. Fresh Artists' model offers an innovative approach that complements the work of school districts and their teachers. We're excited to see Fresh Artists expand its engagement in Lancaster and look forward to seeing more work from young artists across the city.

To learn more about Fresh Artists and its Corporate Art Program, visit freshartists.org.