Friendship Circle of Michigan’s Dresner Foundation Soul Studio has been approved for a $20,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support the Soul Studio Art Program from the National Endowment for the Arts. The program serves adults, 18 years or older with special needs through educational programming in painting, drawing, ceramics, weaving, sculpture, woodworking, photography and digital arts.
“Soul Studio is a uniquely special place where adults with special needs can find a sense of purpose and a place to belong,” said Friendship Circle Co-Founder and Director Bassie Shemtov. “This generous grant will allow our artists to continue creating incredible works of fine art in a welcoming, inclusive environment.”
The Soul Studio Art Program encourages creative growth among participants while responding to each artist’s unique physical and cognitive conditions. Participants receive support from facilitating artists and trained volunteers, who encourage artists to follow their creative impulses and develop their careers as contemporary artists.  
Soul Studio is among the more than 1,100 projects across America totaling nearly $27 million that were selected during this second round of Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2021 funding.
“As the country and the arts sector begin to imagine returning to a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce funding that will help arts organizations such as Friendship Circle’s Soul Studio reengage fully with partners and audiences,” said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers. “Although the arts have sustained many during the pandemic, the chance to gather with one another and share arts experiences is its own necessity and pleasure.”
Learn more about the Soul Studio Art Program.
