A mission so certain,
it’s in our name.
The Crate is founded on a simple, five-word acronym that drives every one of our programs.
Read more about the C.R.A.T.E. below.
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Most importantly, the Crate prioritizes collaboration. Two minds will always be better than one, and we make sure to prompt collaboration in every one of our programs. Our workshops will frequently incorporate team and partner-based activities, and even our lessons emphasize a collaboration between parents, students, instructors, and beyond. If a group or individual is interested in something none of our artists specialize in, we will do our best to make a connection with an artist that does!
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This one’s pretty simple: we want our programs to be fun! Art with the Crate is all about the process, not the product. So we want to make the process enjoyable! To do so, we don’t fret about the final results—we fret about the experience! (but that has an entire letter to itself!) This letter just says: smile, you’re making art!
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Of course, an orginization that provides “art workshops” is going to focus on art. The lucky part is, there is never a shortage of applicable concepts from any of the countless art disciplines out there. We don’t limit ourselves to painting or pottery, instead experimenting with what can be made from trash! Our artists are always trying to find new, creative ways to sneak an art principle into a workshop, and approach it from a new angle. There’s always another way about it!
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The Crate was founded by a kid in college, so of course it loves thrifted materials! The word “thrift” applies to the Crate’s use of reused and recycled materials, trying to make our art environmentally-considerate, not wasteful. It also cuts material costs, allowing for our programs to be even more affordable. If the “A” wasn’t taken up by “art,” then it would almost certainly include something about accessibility. When we use materials found in the average Joe’s recycling bin, it makes our projects something clients can take home and try again themselves!
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This is the Crate’s way of finding an “E” prefaced synonym for “Quality”. We want the experience to be the takeaway. It certainly isn’t going to be the value of the materials! By focusing on the experience, all of the Crate’s other goals fall into place. It’s easier to collaborate and have fun without pressure on results, and art can be more free enjoyable without material cost restraints! Everything plays a part in the experience!
Don Wettrick, Kevin Schamel, Alyssa Pelligrini, and all of the other amazing people at the STARTedUP Foundation have played an incredibly important role in the Crate’s success.
They’ve been supporters from the very beginning!
So early, in fact, that the STARTedUP pitch competitions are where the ideas for the Crate originated!
Here at the Crate, we’ll keep singing their praises for a long time, but don’t take it from us, check them out yourself!
Our Logo is based on a trash can.
That’s right. Our founder, Joshua Steely, used a wooden palette crate with a missing bottom plank as his trash can when making art back in middle school and high school. He just stuck a piece of cardboard in the bottom, and added a divider to separate trash and recycling.
It only felt right to use the iconic profile as the Crate’s logo.
Sure, something may be missing a slat or made out of trash, but we make it work!
As for the name, it surprisingly wasn’t based off of the trash can! “The Crate of Curious Things” was the name of Josh’s older brother’s creative writing website for the few months it was active. After he stopped posting to the site, the younger brother inevetibly swooped in and snatched up the name. And it fits!