Mission
For 34 years, our mission has stayed the same: ensuring Providence youth have equal access to multidisciplinary arts programs, unhindered by socio-economic barriers. Since 1992, ¡CityArts! has offered free in-school, after-school, and summer arts education to thousands of the city’s youth, ages 8 - 14. We believe an arts education is central to youth empowerment, community building, and social change.
History
1992
Founding
1990s-2000s
Growth in Community
2014
National Recognition
2015
Legacy and Continuity
2020-2022
Serving through Change
2023
Strengthening the Future
2026
Relaunch with P3
Looking Ahead
Founding
Providence ¡CityArts! for Youth is founded by Sister Ann Keefe to ensure all young people have access to high-quality arts education, regardless of income or circumstance. From the start, ¡CityArts! has centered youth voices, creativity, and community connection.
¡CityArts! expands its programming and partnerships with schools, artists, and community organizations, becoming a trusted space for free, accessible arts education across Providence.
¡CityArts! receives the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, recognizing its national impact on youth development and arts education.
Following Sister Ann Keefe's passing, ¡CityArts! reaffirms its commitment to her vision of expanding creative opportunities for Providence youth.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ¡CityArts! adapts its programming to continue supporting youth and families through accessible, flexible creative learning experiences.
¡CityArts! pauses to reimagine its program model, moving beyond a single location to deliver arts education through community partnerships across the city.
CityArts begins a new chapter with a Summer 2026 relaunch in partnership with P3, supporting youth programming through rec-center art clubs.
CityArts remains rooted in Sister Ann Keefe’s vision: ensuring every young person has the opportunity to create, learn, and thrive through the arts. The organization continues to invest in youth, community partnerships, and a more equitable creative future for Providence.
Our Values
1
SELF-LOVE + KNOWLEDGE
We create art as an act of care, love, and respect. Through our artworks we express our ideas, celebrate our humanity, and make sense of our complex world. We honor and care for ourselves: where we’re from, who we are, and where we’re going.
2
CURIOSITY +
PROBLEM SOLVING
We discover through play, joyful exploration, and deep inquiry. We value perspectives different from our own. We believe in the power of our imaginations.
3
EMPATHY + COMPASSION
We learn by respecting, embracing and sharing our diverse cultures, diverse abilities, and diverse perspectives. We connect with one another as artists through our unique experiences, art making, and the desire to build a better world.
4
REFLECTIVE & CONTEXTUAL ASSESSMENT
We ask and reflect upon critical questions that seek to understand the social conditions influencing our communities and
informing our unique identities.