More About The ARC
The Art Resource Center
Our happiness is beyond measure. This year 2022-23, The Art Resource Center was selected by two gifting organizations, The Tempe Leadership Cohort class of 2023 (TLC) and the Frances and John Wahl Foundation.
Tempe Leadership Cohort class of 2023 selected The ARC as their community service project to uplift a Tempe business that serves the greater good of the community. The direct impact of TLC’s fund raising and volunteerism over the last several months is abundantly evident, resulting in a significantly redesigned floor plan and the addition of significantly more new shelving, the organization of literally thousands of loose items into designated spaces and the upgrading of both bathrooms. Very importantly, TLC bought 8 new ceiling fans and thermal insulation to both truck doors in our warehouse spaces that have already brought a remarkable reduction in temperature in those spaces, allowing us and our guests to not only work in comfort, but to offer more open hours into the hot summer season.
The Frances and John Wahl foundation donation has given us the ability to move forward with two additional changes we have been seeking for a long time, improvements to our reception/education area and the development of an Artist in Residency program, which we are preparing to put into place this fall.
Thank you, Tempe Leadership Cohort class of 2023 and the Frances and John Wahl Foundation, for all you have done for us this year. Your kindness and generosity will benefit many people for a long time. (June 2023)
A Brief History
The ARC was incorporated in 2004 by Arizona fiber and ceramic artist Sherrie Zeitlin, who has been working in the Arizona arts community for over 30 years. It was during her years in schools and community centers, doing art residencies in underfunded art programs, that the idea to collect and give away supplies was born, ultimately leading to the creation of The ARC.
During COVID, the ARC still supplied schools & nonprofits.
During the Pandemic
The ARC was closed for over a year during the Covid Pandemic but our volunteers worked diligently to get supplies out to our community. We packed hundreds of boxes filled with requested items for schools and nonprofits that were picked up so programs could continue without interruptions.
As we learned more about Covid and felt comfortable accepting donations they began coming in by the ton. It made perfect sense, people were home cleaning out closets and happily donating supplies to The ARC. At one point, every aisle was stacked high with boxed and bagged donations and our volunteers worked long hours sorting and shelving new materials.
On April 21,2021 we reopened The ARC and we have been high beamed ever since.
Where We Are Today
The ARC is run 100% by volunteers and sustained by donations. Starting at our inception with only 480 square feet and no public awareness, The ARC has grown to over 4,000 square feet of space, packed floor to ceiling with recycled art worthy materials. We are a donation destination for businesses, artists and the community at large. Everything we give away is given to us by others. We estimate that annually we reach over 250,000 people and 50,000 youth who are touched by the creative hands and minds of those who regularly come to The ARC for supplies: teachers of all ages and subjects, charities, shelters, after school programs, city programs, museums, theater groups, and artists of all ages.
RECENT PRESS COVERAGE
"There's a huge warehouse in Tempe where teachers can get free art supplies"
KJZZ, April 2022 & May 2023
UNIQUE ARC STORIES
