Extended funding to benefit Hilltop Artists, Path with Art, and Hot Shop Heroes

(Seattle, Washington) October 3, 2019 -- The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation is pleased to announce significant extensions of its ongoing funding commitments to three arts programs and organizations including Hilltop Artists, Path with Art, and Hot Shop HeroesTM. Each of these causes works to improve opportunities for fragile populations through arts programs and hold special meaning for the Chihuly family in their commitment to ensuring access to the healing and energizing power of creating art.

Hilltop Artists has received $375,000 in additional funding, to be paid over a five-year span, which began July 1, 2019. Dale Chihuly co-founded Hilltop Artists in 1994 and is proud to continue supporting the organization through the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation. Hilltop Artists connects young people to better futures by building confidence and personal expression through tuition-free glass art programs and mentorships in Tacoma and Franklin-Pierce School Districts.

"Hilltop Artists plays a vital role in the lives of young people - providing mentorship, teaching technical skills, ensuring they get to better futures - and this is possible because of the vision of Dale Chihuly,” said Dr. Kimberly Keith, Executive Director of Hilltop Artists. “25 years ago, Dale saw a need in the community, and we continue to meet those needs today. We are so fortunate to have Dale as a part of our Hilltop Artists family."

For the past three years, The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation has provided annual grants to support Path with Art, an organization that transforms the lives of adults recovering from homelessness, addiction, and other trauma through creative engagement programs. Beginning on July 1, 2019, the Foundation extended its funding commitment to a total of $150,000 to be paid over three years.

“Art is a powerful tool for personal transformation, and for helping us connect and recognize one another’s humanity,” said Path with Art Executive Director, Holly Jacobson. “We are profoundly grateful to Dale and Leslie Chihuly for their belief in the power of creative engagement to transform lives, their dedication to providing equitable access to the arts, and their support of creative and community-focused solutions. Leslie Chihuly’s advocacy for de-stigmatizing issues surrounding mental health aligns with Path with Art’s belief in the right for each individual to reach their own fullest potential, regardless of circumstances. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation into the future.”

The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation has also extended its commitment to Hot Shop Heroes, pledging a total of $150,000 over three years starting July 1, 2019. Hot Shop Heroes leverages the therapeutic quality of glassblowing to help individuals with trauma and injuries that have occurred during military service. The concept for Hot Shop Heroes was inspired in part by Dale Chihuly. The program was developed by Museum of Glass, and operates in partnership with the Warrior Transition Unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the American Lake Veterans Administration.

“We’re very appreciative of the continued generosity of The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation,” said Debbie Lenk, Executive Director, Museum of Glass. “This new grant will help ensure the sustainability and growth of Hot Shop Heroes, allowing us to provide support for a greater number of active duty military and veterans.”

The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation provides support to artists, arts programs and arts organizations with a mission to inspire and educate the public regarding all forms of art. Today, the Foundation launches a new website to further aide its efforts in changing lives with the creative process. The new website (www.chihulyfoundation.org) highlights the Foundation’s complete list of beneficiaries which includes: Artist Trust, The Aspen Institute, Classical KING FM, Hilltop Artists, Hot Shop Heroes, Path with Art, The Pratt Fine Arts Center, and the University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design. The Foundation is not currently accepting applications for grants.

“Dale found his life’s path through making art,” said Leslie Chihuly, President and CEO of Chihuly Studio. “The relationships and community he developed with other artists has been sustaining. The opportunity to share his work with people around the world and to inspire others has given his life such joy and meaning. We want to share the transformational power of art with those who need it most, and are grateful to Hilltop Artists, Path with Art, and Hot Shop Heroes for all the work they do to engage vulnerable populations through art programs. We hope that through our extended commitments, these organizations can grow and expand opportunities for these important communities.”

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About The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation

Dale and Leslie Chihuly formed The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation in 2009 with a mission to inspire and educate the public regarding all forms of art, and to provide support to artists and arts organizations. The Foundation’s activities focus on making grants to individual artists and multi-year funding commitments to programs and organizations which support artists, enable youth arts education, and support some of our most fragile populations including the elderly, veterans, and the disabled. The Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation is a 501(c )(3) qualified tax-exempt private foundation.

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