2007 Blooming Art: Significant Work Needs Significant Support
Photo Gallery
From life-size Shakespearean characters painted by Dorchester teens to young Lowell violinists serenading passersby, the entrance to Blooming Art, held on Saturday September 29, 2007, at the home of Swanee Hunt and Charles Ansbacher, immersed guests in the vitality of the arts. The 27 youth arts organizations, all members of the ARTWorks for Kids program of Hunt Alternatives Fund, collaborated on dance, music, and theater performances; displayed paintings and sculptures; and created new works of art with over 250 donors and their families. The event’s goal was to encourage guests to increase their giving to the arts and to inspire them to discover new organizations to support.
Express Yourself drummers and Hyde Square Task Force dancers set the rhythm for the afternoon with Cuban-inspired music and movement. ZUMIX musicians wrote and performed a song based on a love poem written by a Books of Hope author. The strength of these collaborations demonstrated the passion and commitment of the kids and organizations.
Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, encouraged guests to support the programs, not only to transform the lives of kids in need but also to develop a creative workforce that will enrich the culture and economy statewide. 
Boston Children’s Chorus summoned the audience from their chairs to enjoy more performances, participate in art-making activities, and connect with leaders of the youth arts programs.
Urban Improv, Boston Arts Academy, Conservatory Lab Charter School, and From the Top and Community Art Center performed to an enraptured crowd in an intimate parlor setting. Dorchester Community Center for the Visual Arts, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, University of Massachusetts Lowell String Project, Revolving Museum, and OrigiNation sparked conversation and dancing from adults and kids alike.
By the final note played by the Community Music Center of Boston’s jazz quartet, the event had already raised over a quarter million dollars, with more to come!
The following organizations participated in the 2007 Blooming Art event: Actors’ Shakespeare Project, Cambridge; Artists for Humanity, South Boston; BalletRox, Jamaica Plain; Books of Hope, Somerville; Boston Arts Academy, Boston; Boston Children’s Chorus, Boston; Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, Boston; City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism, and Special Events, Boston; City Stage Company, Boston; Community Art Center, Cambridge; Community Music Center of Boston, Boston; Conservatory Lab Charter School, Brighton; Dot Art, Dorchester; Express Yourself!, Peabody; From the Top, Boston; Hyde Square Task Force, Jamaica Plain; Making Music Matters, West Roxbury; The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum, Boston; OrigiNation, Roxbury; Raw Art Works, Lynn; Revolving Museum, Lowell; Topf Center for Dance Education, Boston; Troubadour, Chestnut Hill; United South End Settlements, Boston; The University of Massachusetts – Lowell String Project, Lowell; Urban Improv, Jamaica Plain; Young Audiences of Massachusetts, Somerville; Zumix, East Boston.
Watch the 2007 Blooming Art Keynote Address given by Anita Walker.
Read the 2007 Blooming Art Catalog.