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About Starts with Arts Foundation

Starts with Arts Foundation – Access, Mentorship, and Spaces to Create Founded in 2012 by artist and educator David Varela, Starts with Arts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to restoring and expanding access to arts education for under-resourced communities. We believe creativity is a human right, and we work to ensure that every student—regardless of economic background—has the tools, mentorship, and opportunities to learn, create, and thrive. Our programs connect students with professional artists in the classroom, blending curriculum-based arts learning with real-world creative skills. We provide teacher training, curriculum support, and hands-on workshops to integrate creativity into core education. Through our Artist Workforce Program, we are building a network of local artists, supported by mentorship from globally recognized creatives, to bring diverse voices and perspectives into Tulsa’s schools and community spaces. Recognizing the barriers that transportation and cost create for many families, our ArtVanGo mobile art studio brings high-quality, free arts programming directly into neighborhoods—making access possible for those who need it most. This mobile program is a bridge to our long-term vision: a brick-and-mortar creative hub in Tulsa that will house classrooms, studios, and workshop spaces for visual arts, music, and multimedia. This space will serve as both a community learning center and an incubator for artist-led projects, empowering the next generation of creatives. From in-classroom mentorship to mobile outreach and future dedicated creative facilities, Starts with Arts is committed to breaking down barriers, nurturing artistic talent, and ensuring that arts education is not an afterthought, but a foundation for lifelong learning and opportunity.

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