Artz 4 Life's "The Family Blessing" at the Mahaffey Theater, Dec 3!

CLEARWATER – Jai Hinson’s nonprofit, Artz for Life, Inc., located at 1751 Kings Highway in Clearwater, has brought arts training, live performance, and high-energy afterschool programming to Tampa Bay for more than 30 years.

Hinson’s dancers and drummers have brought dance classes and performances to programs in local recreation centers, schools, and performance venues. Now the project is preparing for annual performance of “The Family Blessing” -- returning to the Mahaffey Theater on Dec. 3.

The current production of The Family Blessing has evolved over a 24-year period, beginning with Hinson's involvement with LaVern Reed’s “The Chocolate Nutcracker” -- from which the current production was birthed.

Artz for Life provides a daily afterschool program, providing homework assistance, tutoring, STEM activities, and performing arts activities. It also offers the Explore Arts Summer Camp that introduces students to professional artists and offers classes ranging from filmmaking to theater.

The afterschool program has two buses that pick up over 50 children a week from Clearwater schools. The outreach program brings classes and performances to other organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, Shirley Proctor Puller Foundation, Enoch Davis Center, the CAP Neighborhood Family Center, and many others.

Hinson said that through the organization’s many programming arms, they often have children who want to perform in the upcoming holiday extravaganza. “The Family Blessing” is cast with program students who want to be exposed and immersed in a multicultural, diverse production. Musical and dance styles range from ballet to modern, hip hop, jazz, tap, African Brazilian, and Mexican.

The multicultural, multi-ethnic production reflects Hinson’s family background. “When I’m looking at performing arts and diversity, I welcome it all because I recognize all of these things as part of who I am,” Hinson acknowledged.

When asked what has enabled her to continue her community productions, classes, and workshops over so many years, Hinson said that in the end, it’s about the children involved.

“When I see their smiling faces, and I see them interacting, and so excited about being exposed to something and learning something that they didn’t know that they’re becoming good at and that they’re enjoying,” Hinson shared. “Their expression, that is an image in my mind all the time.”

For more information or to purchase tickets to “The Family Blessing,” visit www.artz4life.org/ or The Mahaffey Theater.