Pasadena Art Alliance Honors Side Street Projects with Impact Award

Teaching Artist Rose Hoffman (left) showxases different types of sanding paper to students during a Modern Myths class session. (Photo courtesy of Pasadena Art Alliance)

The Pasadena Art Alliance has named Side Streets Projects the winner of its 2021 Impact Award. The award recognizes excellence in visual art education provided by a nonprofit organization that impacts youth through contemporary art.

Side Street Projects is a mobile artist-run organization that supports artists, projects, and programs to foster leadership through socially engaged art and a DIY (Do It Yourself) and DIT (Do It Together) ethos. The Pasadena-based nonprofit connects professional artists directly to communities by promoting socially engaged artist projects, youth education, and artist workshops.

Elizabeth Berry, chair of the PPA’s Impact Award Committee, said Side Street Projects has been making innovative contributions to the Pasadena Community over the years.

“Under the direction of Emily Hopkins, this organization has for 28 years provided contemporary art programs to the most under-resourced at-risk youth in the area,” Berry said. “The committee was impressed with the manner in which students become deeply engaged with the arts by hands-on projects facilitated by teaching artists.”

Berry also recognized Hopkins for being “the driving force who always gets things done, no matter the obstacles. “

This year’s award of $27,500 is in addition to the $315,000 in grants awarded to arts organizations in the Los Angeles area.

“Side Street Projects is extremely honored to receive this recognition from the Pasadena Art Alliance for our work with youth,” said Hopkins, Side Street Projects Executive Director. “We would not be able to accomplish this deep engagement without our strong partnerships in the community and the schools. We are grateful for the collaboration that surrounds our work.”

Established in 1955, the Pasadena Art Alliance fosters appreciation for contemporary visual arts in Southern California by supporting artists, exhibitions, educational programs and art-oriented, nonprofit institutions. Funding for the annual grants and awards are raised through an annual benefit and other events.

The PPA recognized by many as Southern California’s premier contemporary visual arts support organization.

To learn more about the PPA, visit www.pasadenaartalliance.org.

For more information about Side Street Projects, visit www.sidestreet.org.