Dear Friends,

                                 
Owen J. Roberts Friends of the Arts and Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation are sharing the spirit of the
holiday season by sponsoring our 7th Annual Tree Festival, Friday December 2 from 4:30 PM-7:30 PM and
Saturday, December 3, 2022 from 11AM to 2 PM.  Our event will be held right in the village of Coventryville
at the homestead of George S. Chrisman and the Coventryville United Methodist Church, 1521 Old Ridge Rd,
Pottstown, PA 19465. This event supports and enhances the educational experience in the arts for the entire
school district. 

We’re asking YOU, our local businesses, community groups and friends to sponsor a beautiful, artificial
Christmas tree. Our trees are decorated in various themes. Tree sponsors can provide items to adorn their tree
or sponsor a tree WE decorate and display in your honor. If you plan to decorate your tree, we have flexible
dates/times to decorate. Sponsoring a tree is a great way to market your business, cause or to remember a
friend or relative at this time of year! 
Raffle tickets will be sold during the event. Attendees place tickets in a bucket for the tree of their choice. At the
conclusion of our event tickets are pulled and winners are announced. Winners take everything on and under
the tree. In addition, we have a large, unique raffle table filled with holiday specialties.

OJR choral groups will be performing. We have craft tables for children to make and take. The UMC Church
will have dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday for purchase. 

AVAILABLE SPONSORSHIPS: Kindly mark your sponsorship level below. All sponsor names will appear on
Santa’s Good List which will be displayed at the event and online. Donations are due by November 28,
2022.The OJR Ed Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. Our tax id is 23 2621428.
Tax receipts will be provided.  

Click Here to Learn More

Dear Friends of the Arts,

Unfortunately we were forced to postpone everyone's favorite SPRING craft show due to Covid.  Please check back or follow us on Facebook for updates. 

Stay tuned for info on possible bus trips to NYC and Wash DC as the pandemic slows to a halt. 

Remember we'll be hosting our Annual Tree Festival the first Friday and Saturday of December. Contact us at ojrfriendsofthearts@gmail.com

Welcome FRIEND of the Arts at Owen J. Roberts School District!  Covid has definitely put a damper on our largest fundraisers; our holiday tree festival and our famous annual juried craft show! HOWEVER, we are continuing to do all we can to fundraise and provide classroom enhancements to the students and staff of our district 

We conducted a virtual crafting event in December.. Dinner and a Snowman.  It was very successful and with the assistance of our art teachers, IT staff and local grocery store chain Wegmans and Giant, we were able to earn some money and provide an enjoyable family-friendly, and creative art event!  

Please check our page here or on Facebook for updates as we hopefully return to a normal routine soon. Thank you for your continued support! 

WHO ARE WE?   

The Friends of the Arts was organization in the mid 1970's by parents, educators and residents of the Owen J. Roberts School District  who felt that WE as a community needed  to FOSTER, GROW and ENHANCE the educational experience of our students by engaging them in the ARTS as much as possible. Thus the OJR FOA was born. 

Over the past 42 years OJR FOA has funded concert and museum trips to Phila and NYC, hosted various performing arts groups from the United States Military, US City Orchestras, and University Singing groups.  Anything and Everything was done by the FOA to insure that the ART & MUSIC programs remain in our district.  We are most PROUD of our Scholarship Program!  In just the past 5 years we have awarded $49,000 in SCHOLARSHIPS to OJR graduating SENIORS who are pursuing college careers in the ARTS.  Today this is a HUGE UMBRELLA to cover with more and more careers opening up due in part to the ARTS!  

For many years we hosted a Holiday House Tour, Annual Garden Tour of some of the hidden gems of Northern Chester Co and of course our JURIED SPRING CRAFT SHOW conducted the first weekend in March!  The Craft Show is currently our biggest fundraiser.  We are always looking for other ways to share the arts and grow our scholarship budget!  

Here are just a few highlights of what we've done over the past few years to enhance the ARTS in OJR!. 

• Grant funds to teachers for special projects/visiting artists/field trips/additional supplies for the classroom. 
• Grant funds to other arts organizations in the school district - band front, The Naturals (acapella group). 
• Promotion of individual school's student art shows. Showcase student art at the OJR Craft Show every March!
• Annual donation to underwrite Upbeat Strings Camp.
• Scholarships to Summer Art Camp. 
• Pay to frame many of the student art you'll find showcased in all our schools! 
• Sponsor a national program called ART GOES TO SCHOOL. This program brings the museum to the classroom in all 5 OJR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. These programs are taught by FOA VOLUNTEERS!   
• In over 42 years we've paid out $150,000 in scholarship funds for our district students!  

Join us in celebrating the ARTS!

FRIENDS OF THE ARTS NEEDS YOU! Below is a list of some of the committees we need your creativity, talents and gumption for:

Hospitality-Art Goes to School Program-Holiday Tree Festival-Spring Juried Craft Show-Art in the Park Pop Up and new events we want to do!-Scholarship Interviewers-Folks who don't mind managing mailings, spreadsheets- basic admin things-Contacting News Media for Advertising and PR-chairpeople for new events!  If you don't know what or how you want to volunteer we'll help you find that perfect choice!   

No previous experience is needed just a willingness to share in the joy of the ARTS! We need fresh ideas! Do you enjoy creating or chairing events? Greeting people at our Craft Show, working a 2 hour shift at our events? Many hands make for little work for all involved! We all know how precious our time is so the more the merrier!  

BONUS--You don't have to have kids in school or even be a parent. Any Resident of the Owen. J. Roberts School District can belong! If you want to me a part of this great group please e-mail Susan at sdeegan1@yahoo.com or ask your children's art teacher!  

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!