Neighborhood Art House



Why should you support the Neighborhood Art House?

The Neighborhood Art House, a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, empowers youth through the arts - offering a safe, nurturing space for creative expression, personal growth, and community building.

Our mission is to serve inner-city youth ages 7-18, a historically under-resourced population in Erie. Students come from over 30 schools, including homeschools, and participate in the area's most comprehensive arts program free of charge. Every class is led by qualified instructors and includes all necessary materials.

In 2022, we launched the Community Art Program to expand our reach to adults and individuals with unique life challenges. By 2023, participation grew by 162%, and in 2024, over 2,200 people took part in classes and workshops - a powerful sign of the community's growing need for the healing and connection that art can provide.

The Art House is more than just an arts center - it's a haven. Here, students not only explore their creativity but also build life skills like self-discipline, teamwork, and responsibility. Through partnerships with local businesses and organizations, we also offer academic tutoring, health and wellness education, and financial literacy workshops, helping young people grow into confident and caring members of the Erie community. 

Unlike many organizations, the Neighborhood Art House does not receive government funding. We are 100% funded by private donors and local businesses who believe in the informative power of the arts.

Your support through #iGiveCatholic helps ensure that all children - regardless of background - can experience the joy, stability, and inspiration that come from a vibrant arts education. 

Thank you for helping us shape a stronger, more creative Erie.

For more information visit neighborhoodarthouse.org or call 814-455-5508. 

Benefits to the Youth

Learn hard work, skills, discipline and teamwork that can be transferred to home, school and, eventually the workplace. Mentored by caring adults in a safe and nurturing environment. Immerse themselves in beauty, creativity and the enriching values of the arts. Express themselves and have fun. Discover who they are . . . who they can become . . . and that they can do anything to which they set their minds.

Research

suggests that disadvantaged youth who attend high-quality arts and humanities programs during the hours they are not at home, benefit them academically and socially.

These youth:

Are two times less likely to use drugs; Are one-third less likely to become teen parents; Have improved school attendance; Have higher academic achievement; Do their homework more often and better; Learn to respect people who are different from themselves.

Research further shows that students who receive education in the arts:

Become self-sustained, self-directed learners; Are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement; Are more proficient at reading, writing, and math; Have a lower school drop-out rate than their socio-economic peers; Are twice as likely to graduate college as their peers with no arts education.

Again, Why Give Back to the Inner-City Neighborhood Art House?

 It has been proven that students who engage in afterschool and summer programs are kept out of two potentially dangerous situations: the streets and/or an empty house. They are less likely to engage in crime or drugs and kept safe from having to fend for themselves while at home alone.

Nearly one-fifth of juvenile violent crimes occur in the 4 hours between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on school days. Being involved in an after-school program provides a safe space for students to socialize with their peers and helps to eliminate the risk of them getting into trouble.(Source: Miami University Partners In Learning) Whatever you contribute, you will be helping to provide a safe place and nurturing environment for inner-city youth after school.

Research Resources:

Salient Studies on the Arts in Education: Center for Online Education, Arts Education Fast Facts: Americans for the Arts, Learning and the Arts: Crossing Boundaries, School dropout prevention: What arts-based community and out-of-school-time programs can contribute, Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning, For the Love of Music: The Influence of After-School Music Programs on the Academic and Non-Cognitive Development of Disadvantaged Youth

Who We Are

The Inner-City Neighborhood Art House opened at its current site, 201 East 10th Street, Erie, PA in September 1995 as a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie. The Neighborhood Art House offers Afterschool, Summer, and Community Art Programs offering classes in the visual, performing, and literary arts, plus environmental education. The mission of the Inner-City Neighborhood Art House is to empower youth through creative experiences, to engage in positive self-expression, and to develop into confident and caring members of the community.