Our Story
When I think about some of the best moments of my life, most of them are connected to the arts. This photo was taken right after I surprised my sons with tickets to a Savion Glover performance. The two of them had fallen in love with Savion's artistry after seeing his iconic performance in the movie, "Happy Feet". Their excitement to see him in-person caused a spontaneous embrace that I was able to capture at just the right moment.
It was a life changing experience for my boys to see Savion and the rest of his dance company that day. Seeing those courageous, disciplined and unapologetically fabulous artists, emboldened my sons to dream big and dare to believe that they too possessed the same greatness that was so dynamically presented to them on that Saturday afternoon.
One moment was all it took for us to lose ourselves in that wonderful experience. However, as a single mother, getting my family to that moment, proved to be financially challenging. Purchasing theater tickets, a common task for some, put a financial strain on my single-income household. It was through my struggle that I saw the opportunity to address a common need within my community.
Numerous studies have proven that the arts have a powerful impact on our individual and collective well-being. From allowing us to have a deeper understanding of our world to increasing our self-awareness, the arts provide a spectrum of benefits that contribute to the civic health of our society.
Access to the arts means having the resources that are necessary to absorb all of the benefits that the arts have to offer; benefits that should be available to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status. I founded Gift Hearts because the arts are a gift to us all and I never want another family to miss out on the transformational impact of the arts because of financial barriers.
Symphony halls, theater venues, museums and creative arts classes should be filled with people from all walks of life. I am determined to make sure that the people from our most underserved communities have the chance to be moved and inspired just as me and my two sons were on that one magical day when the arts brightened up our world and changed us forever.
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Briston Ashe
Founder, Executive Director