The center provides artist studios, gallery spaces, year-round arts education programming for children, youth and adults, a summer arts camp for children, and engagement and community outreach initiatives for all ages. It has been pivotal in the current burgeoning downtown renaissance.
In 2022, Harwood Art Center received the Peggy Cavett-Walden and Professor Jerrold Walden Fund for Art and Music grant, which has allowed it to refine its niche in intergenerational, intercultural and intersectional programming.
“Anyone of any background can find a place at Harwood,” said Director of Programs Julia Mandeville. “We used this grant specifically to support our community outreach programs: the Apprenticeship for Art & Social Justice, the Youth Mural Project and our annual Social Practice Collaboration.”
Mandeville is grateful for the support from the Albuquerque Community Foundation, which administered Harwood’s very first grant in 1991. “The Foundation has been an extraordinary partner, a relationship that has transcended staff in both organizations. This speaks to the alignment and deep love and commitment that both of our organizations have to community, neighbors and place, nourishing our shared home and ensuring its nourishment continues,” she said.
Harwood’s Director of Outreach Jen DePaolo also noted that much of the center’s programming depends on funders like the Foundation, and how it has been able to leverage the funds to encourage community participation.
“We talk a lot about creating access to programs, and often that means free access and paid opportunities for young people. This would be impossible without our funders,” said DePaolo. “Beyond fiscal support, our true collaboration with the Foundation opens pathways to connect with other partners, community members and others who see how what we do impacts the entire community. The Foundation has the larger view and provides insight and guidance on Harwood’s capacity to serve the community.”