Florida Atlantic University’s art galleries are going to be offering more mentoring programs for middle school and high school students, after receiving over $148,000 in grants.

The money comes from three separate grants: the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties ($115,670), the Florida State Arts Council ($31,150) and the Florida Humanities Council ($15,000).

The largest grant will expand FAU’s current Integrated Arts Mentoring Program, which provides art education to students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, according to an FAU news release.

Mentorship includes museum trips to the FAU galleries, which have been approved as field experience providers by the Palm Beach County School District.

“I believe that grants signal that we have a high-quality, meaningful program,” said William Rod Faulds, the university galleries director. He also mentioned the program would recycle money back into the community for arts and culture.

Faulds continued, saying that the AMP program has mutual benefits for both the FAU student mentors and the 11-17 year olds.

FAU students receive hands-on experience as educators, and the middle school and high school students gain visual arts experiences; it also motivates them to go to college, like the students mentoring them.

It will also allow the program to expand to the Boys and Girls Teen Centers in Belle Glade, along with the Boys and Girls Clubs in Delray and West Palm Beach.

New exhibitions for the year will be funded by the grant from the Florida State Arts Council. FAU has not received a grant from this council since 2008 because of a hefty budget cut.

Faulds said the state agency’s budget was reduced from about $33 million a year to $3 million.

This grant was used to pay for the current exhibition in both the Ritter Art Gallery and the Schmidt Center Gallery’s “New Art: 2015 South Florida Cultural Consortium Visual and Media Arts Fellowship Exhibition.”

The purpose behind this exhibit is to investigate the painter Albert Ernest “A.E.” Backus’ influence for “Highwaymen.” Money awarded by the Florida Humanities Council is allocated for the exhibition “Beanie Backus and Florida’s Highwaymen: History, Commerce and Art.”

“Highwaymen” refers to a group of black artists from the 1950s and 1960s. Their artwork depicts bright untouched Florida landscapes, according to the Florida Highwaymen’s website.

Both Ritter Art Gallery and Schmidt Center Gallery are open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.

The Schedule

Take a look at this season’s upcoming galleries.

New Art: 2015 South Florida Cultural Consortium Visual and Media Artists Fellowship Exhibition

        Ritter Art Gallery: Sept. 11 – Nov. 7

Schmidt Center Gallery: Sept. 18 – Oct. 31

Opening: Friday, Sept. 19, 6:30 p.m.

2015 Biennial Faculty Art Exhibition

   Schmidt Center Gallery: Nov. 13, 2014 – Jan. 23, 2016

Opening: Thursday, Nov. 12, 6:30 p.m.               

Fall Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition

       Ritter Art Gallery: Nov. 20 – Dec. 12, 2015

Opening: Thursday, Nov. 19, 6:30 p.m.

FAU Potters Guild Fall Show and Sale

       Ritter Art Gallery: Dec. 18 – Dec. 19

For more information, visit http://www.fau.edu/galleries/exhibitions.php.