PORT ARANSAS, Dec. 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The AEP Texas Foundation has awarded a $75,000 grant to the Port Aransas Art Center to fund Creative Horizons: A Young Artists Initiative, a two-year arts education program for teenagers ages 14-18. The program incorporates hands-on workshops, participation in Art Center classes, mentorship from teaching artists, opportunities to exhibit work, and structured volunteer experiences designed to introduce students to arts administration and community engagement.
Creative Horizons develops technical skills, creative confidence, and a deep understanding of how an arts organization operates, according to Port Aransas Art Center President John Morris.
“This investment from the AEP Texas Foundation allows us to open doors for young people who are eager to explore their creativity,” Morris said. “Creative Horizons will not only help students build artistic skills but also give them a meaningful look into how the arts strengthen and sustain a community.”
The AEP Texas Foundation focuses on programs that improve lives through education; provide basic human services; facilitate change and equity to strengthen communities; and enrich life through art, music and cultural heritage.
Judith E. Talavera, AEP Texas president and COO, believes this grant will have a lasting impact and instill an artistic foundation in the youth who participate in the program.
“The AEP Texas Foundation believes that investing in youth education is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen communities,” Talavera said. “This program will foster a culture of creativity and curiosity for students in the Coastal Bend.”
Talavera adds that for decades, AEP Texas has enjoyed a rich history of supporting the arts across the company’s service territory, building brighter futures for the communities it serves.
The AEP Texas Foundation awards charitable grants within communities served by AEP Texas, an operating subsidiary of American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP). The AEP Texas Foundation, along with the rest of the American Electric Power Foundation, is funded by AEP and its operating subsidiaries solely through shareholder dollars.
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Patrick King, External Affairs Manager AEP Texas 361-758-6411 [email protected]