ARTSPRING, INC. Information

ArtSpring, Inc. was founded as Leslie Neal Dance, Inc. (LND) in 1992. Initially, this company of female artists created dance theatre works that were performed throughout the Southeast. From 1986 to 2007, Leslie Neal was a choreographer and associate professor of dance at Florida International University (FIU). Her research became focused on the value of art in community settings. In 1994, LND's activities began to increasingly shift to serving the community by teaching arts to incarcerated women. As a result, LND changed its corporate name to ArtSpring, Inc. in the summer of 2000 to more accurately reflect its community-based efforts. ArtSpring has achieved national recognition for the longest ongoing arts-in-corrections programming in Florida, providing quality arts-based, educational workshops to over 600 inmates and juveniles per year. ArtSpring maintains a faculty of artists, teaching a variety of disciplines including dance, theatre, music, visual arts and creative writing, utilizing a unique collaborative process based in community arts education. Over the years, ArtSpring has proven that the arts increase self-esteem, reduce negative behavior and create a positive environment within facilities where our programs are offered. ArtSpring aids participants in their reintegration back to society. Of the women who enrolled in ArtSpring's programs for at least one year and are now released, not one has been convicted of a crime and returned to prison. This represents a 0% recidivism rate for those who involved in our programs.