In a city that gave the world Motown, techno, and countless other artistic movements, too many Detroit children still grow up without access to art or music education.
A new citywide initiative hopes to change that. The Detroit Partnership for Arts Education (DPAE) launched this year and brings together health care leaders, educators, philanthropists, and artists to expand access to the arts for all Detroit children, regardless of their ZIP code or family’s income. The idea is that art not only develops creativity but it makes young people better future employees and citizens.
The partnership, coordinated by Detroit Excellence in Youth Arts (DEYA), is backed by the Detroit Mayor’s Office and Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD).
The partnership marks the first time in Detroit’s history that leaders from across industries have come together under the belief that access to arts education is as essential to a child’s development as academics or athletics. Unfortunately in Detroit, supporters say, a disproportionate number of students are deprived of an arts education because school funding isn’t as strong in the city as the wealthier suburbs.
“We feel strongly that the barrier that exists should not exist because of where someone lives,” Nafeesah Symonette, executive director of DEYA, tells Metro Times. “I’m very passionate about it because it really changes the trajectory of a child’s life. The point isn’t making the next great artists. We’re trying to create full human beings. And those whole human beings come from investments in what they want to do and what they want to be and how they want to contribute to society.”
Access to the arts shouldn’t be a privilege tied to income, geography, or a school district’s tax base, supporters say.
“Detroit is building an innovative model that demonstrates what can happen when health care, schools, and grassroots organizations join forces to support our young people in arts education,” Bob Riney, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health, says. “Arts education enriches individual lives, but it cannot thrive as an isolated silo. It impacts every facet of our community — from health to economic development to education.”
The initiative builds on the findings of a revealing study by DEYA and Data Driven Detroit, which mapped where Detroit’s children have access to arts programs and where they don’t.
The Detroit Arts Education Data Project found that 93% of schools in the Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD) offer at least one arts course, but access is uneven and limited in depth.
The study found:
- Only 66% of DPSCD schools offer music programs, and 37% of K-8 schools have none.
- Just 23% provide dance instruction, 13% offer theater, and 4% have access to multimedia production.
- Charter high schools lag even further behind, with only 50% offering music, 15% choral programs, and 0% dance.
Out-of-school access is even more inequitable. The study found that more than half of youth enrolled in Detroit arts programs actually live outside the city, and that several high-density neighborhoods on the west and east sides have fewer participants than a single ZIP code in Oak Park.
“These findings are a call to action,” Symonette says. “Arts education shouldn’t depend on where a child lives. We’re talking about a basic human right — the right to create, to express, and to find your voice.”
To address those gaps, DPAE unveiled three key tools. One is the Detroit Youth Arts Navigator, an online map of more than 45 community arts programs and 100 schools where students can find classes in visual art, music, dance, theater, and multimedia.
Another is “A Vision for Arts Education in Detroit,” a citywide framework for equitable arts access supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Kresge Foundation.
Then there’s the Detroit Arts Education Data Project, which will guide future policy and investment decisions.
“This is more than just data,” Symonette says. “It represents a movement rooted in collaboration, imagination, and a shared commitment to ensuring every Detroit child has access to the transformative power of the arts.”
For Dr. Herman Gray, a founding member of DPAE and former CEO of Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan, says the arts are essential to children’s overall health.
“As a pediatrician, anything that touches on children’s development is deeply important to me,” he says. “The arts build confidence, resilience, and empathy — things that make for better students and better citizens.”
Gray recalled organizing art contests at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
“I was stunned by the quality of the children’s artwork,” he says. “It reminded me how powerful the arts are in helping kids cope, express themselves, and heal.”
Health care leaders like Gray and Riney are part of a growing national movement recognizing arts education as a public health issue, with research showing that creative engagement reduces stress, improves motor skills, and enhances social-emotional learning.
The Children’s Foundation, a Michigan-based organization that works to improve the physical and mental health of children, funds art therapy programs at hospitals and in schools. The ultimate goal is to create a permanent endowment for youth arts so programs don’t disappear when grants run out, says Andrew Stein, president and CEO of the Children’s Foundation.
“This partnership makes a lot of sense to us because it brings together a very diverse set of leaders who all share a common hope for the community, which is access to the arts in a permanent way,” Stein says. “Kids need art and ways to express themselves creatively. I think most people believe that. It’s about how we ensure that and make it happen.”
For Symonette, arts access should be universal.
“There are definitely significant gaps in funding,” Symonette says. “We feel strongly that the barriers that exist should not exist because of where someone lives. Equitable distribution of resources and access should happen because it’s every child’s birthright to be invested in this way.”
DEYA is developing a youth arts micro-grant fund to help students afford supplies, transportation, or travel to programs.
“Parents shouldn’t have to start a GoFundMe for kids to support their dream,” Symonette said. “If we care about our young people, there should be a youth arts fund that supports young people. That funding doesn’t exist. That is what DEYA is trying to create.”
DPSCD Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti says the district has made progress, but much work remains.
“The arts are a powerful driver for a well-rounded education, and we have prioritized access to art and music in the same way we think about math and reading,” Dr. Vitti, an DPAE honorary co-chair, says. “We have made tremendous strides but know there is still room for growth. We cannot stop until every young person in Detroit, one of the world’s great cultural powerhouses, has access to quality arts education. Cross-sector partnerships like DPAE are essential to realizing that vision.”
That access, advocates say, is about more than producing the next generation of artists. It’s also about creating the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and community leaders.
“At DEYA, we seek to catalyze collective action so that every young person in Detroit can connect to our city’s rich cultural legacy and unlock their full creative potential,” the report by DEYA and Data Driven Detroit states. “We know that when young people engage in the arts, they develop not only as artists, but as thinkers, problem solvers, innovators, and leaders. They gain confidence. They find belonging. They forge paths toward healing, identity, and career.”
But to have more success, the initiative needs more funding, Symonette says.
“We need additional funding to get this off the ground,” she says. “I am constantly trying to preserve what we have. This is why it’s so important for other industries to step up because they will benefit greatly.”
To explore the Detroit Youth Arts Navigator or read the full report, see deyayoutharts.com.