By Jordan Smith
Submitted Images
Young and aspiring artists as well as established artists know that supplies and classes come with a price tag. A local nonprofit, JAM Art & Supplies makes it their mission to deliver these necessitates at an affordable price, as well as offer a sense of community for Sioux Falls artists. To help them achieve this goal and to show the community just how creative (and delicious) Sioux Falls can be, it is hosting the second annual JAM Art & Supplies Sweet Art Show this month.
According to co-founder and executive director Jess Miller, JAM has four pillars: store, classroom, website and projects. “We function as an art and craft supply thrift store, classroom, and hub for creatives. All of our merchandise is donated to us, which allows for us to sell supplies at an incredibly reasonable price, similar to thrift stores such as Goodwill or Savers. This also allows us to offer local nonprofits, teachers, and students 25 percent off of every purchase.”
JAM began collecting donations before it had even opened, but when the nonprofit moved into its first storefront at 6th and Phillips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls in December 2014, it quickly became obvious that more space was needed. By April 2015, JAM expanded into a much larger space within the same building, roughly ten times the size of the previous store.
Last year, JAM used profits from the Sweet Art Show to offer one Creative Reuse day camp for 8 to 13-year-olds in the summer. The camp taught kids what creative reuse is and introduced them to installation art. With money raised from this year’s event, the organization hopes to give more children the opportunity to use their imaginations and practice creative problem solving. Besides wanting to bring four creative reuse camps to Sioux Falls in 2016, JAM would like to continue to offer free art clubs for middle and high schoolers, send its staff to learn a curriculum called “Visual Thinking Strategies,” sustain and improve its website, and offer drawing classes for all ages this spring.
The second annual Sweet Art Show will be held on February 12 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Icon Lounge Event Hall in Sioux Falls. For more information about the event or volunteer opportunities with JAM, visit jamartandsupplies.com or email Miller at jamartandsupplies@gmail.com.
To read the full article, pick up the February issue of 605 Magazine or click here.
