The Jefferson Arts Education Project is a 2024 Mission Pilot Program from St. Stephen and St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Rooted in a deep and ongoing partnership with nearby PS5 elementary school, this initiative offers high-quality, sustained visual arts education to children who currently have no access to art classes.
Led by Ebony Haynes, a nationally recognized Black art educator and gallery director, and supported by PS5’s beloved Principal Dr. Lena Gates, the project is designed to enrich students’ learning, creativity, and well-being. PS5 serves a population where 90% of students live below the poverty line and 30% experience homelessness. For these children, the chance to learn art is about more than creativity—it’s about emotional healing, academic empowerment, and self-discovery.
The program will culminate in a community-wide art exhibition in June, hosted in the parish hall and featuring student artwork alongside contributions from parish children. St. Stephen and St. Martin’s also hopes to extend invitations to PS5 families for its annual Christmas celebration, deepening the relationship between church and school.
The Jefferson Arts Education Project is more than an enrichment program; it’s a ministry of presence and possibility. It reflects the Gospel call to invest in the potential of every child, to celebrate beauty in all its forms, and to support our neighbors with compassion, excellence, and joy.
