SSAF 2025 “ART SPRINGS FORTH” FUNDRAISER

The Sandy Springs Arts Foundation’s (SSAF) mission is “to elevate all Sandy Springs residents through the arts.” The Foundation achieves its goals by not only supporting arts programming in public schools, but also by underpinning grassroots art nonprofits in the area.

On November 16, 2025, SSAF held a fundraiser at Lion’s Gate, a beautiful estate just outside Sandy Springs, to raise money and awareness of our mission. The SSAF board honored Sandy Springs’ own, Jan Collins, with our “Spirit of the Arts” award for her pivotal role in bringing the arts to the city. In addition, her daughter, Courtenay Collins - graduate of Converse College School of Music and the Julliard Drama Division - performed a delightful program with song in tribute to her mother. As a surprise, the SSAF board also presented Courtenay with our “Artist of Excellence” award! 
 
To make the night even more memorable, students from Sandy Springs Charter Middle School performed a variety of jazz selections. Guests were sure to enjoy their amazing addition to the evening. Moreover, a live auction was held to raise additional funds and added to the liveliness of the evening! Trips, dinners, experiences, works of art, etc. were bid on to the benefit of SSAF’s objectives. The evening raised over $57,000.00! This is a great start, as there is so much more to be done. For instance, students with an education including the arts have higher GPAs and standardized test scores and lower drop-out rates. As five of the 10 public schools in Sandy Springs are Title 1 (40% or more of the student body comes from economically-challenged households), SSAF’s work is so needed. As research shows, the positive effects of the arts especially benefit at-risk students, resulting in them being more apt to stay in school and get college degrees.