ARTBEAT 2025

ARTBEAT…Where Students Sing, Dance, Create, and Imagine” Showcase Raised $75,000 in support of the arts in Sandy Springs-located public schools.

Sandy Springs Arts Foundation (SSAF) proudly announces that our second annual FREE-PUBLIC visual and performing arts showcase raised $75,000 in support of the arts in Sandy Springs-located schools! The funds raised through our community are being donated back to the participating schools to help them access much needed art-related items such as instruments, paint, consumables, software, lighting, etc.

The event held at the Byers Theatre highlighted the talent of public-school art students from: Ridgeview Charter Middle School, Riverwood International Charter High School, Sandy Springs Charter Middle School, and North Springs Charter High School. According to SSAF board member and community leader, Jan Collins, “Our premiere ARTBEAT event was a fabulous opportunity for our Sandy Springs-located students to showcase their talent and passion for the arts. Having the opportunity to perform on the grand stage of the Byers Theatre and display their art in the Byers lobby was a thrill for students and audiences alike!”

Over 400 students from all the aforementioned schools presented over 120 pieces of 2D and 3D visual art and danced, sang, performed music (Band, Orchestra, Chorus, Rock Band), etc. Approximately 800 attendees enjoyed the event. The students were so excited to have shared their art! As one student put it, “We were more hyped than last year! This is awesome…I’ll never forget it”.

But why highlight and invest in our public schools and especially the arts?

Our public schools are the heartbeats of our neighborhoods - where our kids learn to live in community with one another.
In addition, seven of the 11 public schools in Sandy Springs are Title 1 (approximately 40% of a school population comes from households below the poverty line). Our public schools provide an education to those that are may not able to access other options.
Research shows that the positive effects of the arts are especially beneficial for low-socioeconomic status students. Additionally, at-risk students who take art are significantly more likely to stay in school and ultimately to get college degrees.
Students with an education rich in the arts have higher GPAs, standardized test scores, and lower drop-out rates. The arts - music, creative writing, visual arts, dance - provide skills sought by employers. Seventy-two percent of corporations say the #1 skill they look for is creativity. Arts activities in schools and at home can help foster cognitive development as well as provide outlets for children to express how they feel and develop their self identities.
Art also creates an energized learning environment. Moreover, art helps a student understand the greater world and the role they play in it. It deepens both self and cultural understanding.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Art has the ability to uplift and transform. The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us – by building bridges between cultures, and bringing us together regardless of ethnicity, religion, or age. Appreciating the arts positively affects well-being and the ability to build community!

As the event was a resounding success, SSAF is already planning for ARBEAT again in 2026. To learn more about SSAF and its initiatives, please go to www.ssarts.org.

We thank our sponsors – Smith Automotive Group, The Board of the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation, The Livingston Foundation, Northside Hospital, Gift of Hope Foundation, Burr & Forman LLP, Georgia Power, Hyperion Bank, RoughDraft Atlanta, Chick-fil-A, and Solidarity Sandy Springs for making this event possible!

SSAF’s mission is “to elevate all Sandy Springs residents through the arts.” Created in 2018, the vision of the organization is, “Sandy Springs is a distinctive arts destination dedicated to enhance and celebrate the cultures, communalities and well-being of our community.” Our grant-making framework incorporates two core programs: 1) Enhancing the Arts Experience for public schools in Sandy Springs; and 2) Supporting other nonprofit arts organizations within the footprint of Sandy Springs.