COMPAS, Inc.
Background and Purpose
COMPAS, Inc. (COMPAS) was founded in 1968 and incorporated in 1974 to enrich schools and community life by providing participatory arts programs. COMPAS’ mission is to strengthen people and communities in Minnesota by engaging them in creating art. The organization operates with a thirty member board of directors, an advisory board, a staff of 10, and 250 artists and ensembles from virtually all arts disciplines who serve over 550,000 people annually.
COMPAS programs include: Writers and Artists in the Schools - writers and artists provide workshops, residencies and performances by professional artists; ArtsWork - employs youth ages 14-21 in the summer to make art that is sold or that enhances the Saint Paul community; Diversity Education and the Arts - a partnership project with St. Paul Travelers to address diversity issues with their employees and the community through arts projects; United Arts Workplace Giving - increases access to the arts and enhances arts education by supporting 30 arts organization through a granting process; and Arts in Health Care - a new three-year demonstration program which provides arts activities to patients and care givers. In July, COMPAS merged with Young Audiences to form a “one-stop shop” organization for teachers, schools and community groups.
Current Request
The Saint Paul Second Shift Youth Commission, a formal vehicle for youth civic engagement and leadership in the city of Saint Paul, created a platform with two priority issues: violence prevention and the creation of youth-friendly public spaces. As Saint Paul recreation centers generally are sports oriented and don’t provide adequate opportunities for young people interested in the arts, the group determined that an arts-based youth center would be one way to address these two issues.
They created plans for “The Canvas,” an arts-based center, as a way for young people to have a consistent, youth-centered facility available to them. The Canvas will be located at Hancock Recreation Center in the Midway neighborhood. The Commissioners visualize a mix of open arts spaces to include urban art murals and an art gallery, as well as formal arts programming. They will renovate the space which will include a small performance area for showcase opportunities, a café, and an arts and crafts room for workshops, a dance studio, and a gym for large performance/dances.
COMPAS will hire an arts coordinator, recruit and train professional artists, and purchase necessary materials. A youth advisory group will help select the art forms and professional artists with guidance from the coordinator and COMPAS staff. Workshops will be held four to six hours a week for 48 weeks of the year.
During the school year, classes will take place after school. Youth will be asked to join as a member for safety and for data collection purposes. The Canvas will provide open arts time for youth to use the facility for working individually or in small groups. Youth will need to pay a small fee only when they take a class or workshop.
It is recommended that the board approve a grant of $16,400 to COMPAS, Inc. to help finance the budget of The Canvas.
The Archive
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