Created in 2001 by Milwaukee Public Schools through support from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts @ Large has been an integral partner in raising the profile of and increasing public commitment to arts education in Milwaukee. 

Arts @ Large was one of 21 arts organization across the nation recently sited as providing exemplary arts education programming in the 2011 report by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, “Reinvesting in Arts Education.”

The Arts @ Large program model is tailored to each individual school community and results in a school-wide comprehensive arts program. Annually, Arts @ Large programs reach more than 12,000 students and their families, 3,000 teachers, and more than 100 teaching artists.

Arts @ Large has been a tireless advocate for providing equitable arts education for all students. When most districts are further cutting arts education, Milwaukee Public Schools is working to provide a licensed art, music, or physical education specialist in all schools for the 2012/13 school year. Arts @ Large works hand-in-hand with the district to strategically address gaps in arts education and leverage limited resources for students most in need.

In a media climate where negative stories about students often prevail, Arts @ Large is shining a positive light on the City of Milwaukee and its public schools.