Children in Free Arts Program Experience Painting in Virtual Reality for the First Time

R&R Partners | April 16, 2018

R&R Partners, an international marketing and advertising agency, hosted children ages 10 to 16 from the Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona program to experience painting in a virtual atmosphere at their office in the Phoenix Warehouse District on Thursday.

Free Arts is the only nonprofit organization in Arizona delivering creative and therapeutic art programs, at no cost, to children ages 3 to 21 who have faced abuse, neglect and homelessness. For many of the children visiting R&R Partners, it was their first time experiencing virtual reality.

“We are grateful to work with R&R Partners to bring a truly unique opportunity to children participating in Free Arts programs,” said Alicia Sutton Campbell, executive director. “Experiences like this provide access to tools and technology for children to express their emotions in new and innovative ways. Free Arts is appreciative of our volunteers and corporate partners. We couldn’t continue to offer our services without community-minded collaborators like R&R Partners.”

The event stems from the Phoenix Addy Awards, where the advertising agency was tasked with providing an artistic contribution for an auction benefitting Free Arts programs. Instead of a canvas piece, the agency decided to go one step further and take it virtual.

“Our agency is well versed in harnessing the power of creative expression for our clients, so bringing these children into our world and providing a unique experience that fuses technology and art was a pleasure,” said Nicole Rose, vice president and managing director at R&R Partners in Phoenix. “We wanted to create a judgement-free environment for the kids to get creative in an interactive way they’ve never experienced before.”

FabCom, a fellow marketing agency in Scottsdale, was the highest bidder on the auction item to sponsor the virtual reality experience. To view the artwork created with Google Tilt Brush, click here.

About R&R Partners
R&R Partners creates communications that spring from our ability to see and understand the total competitive landscape in which our clients do business. This 360 perspective inspires a unique brand of creative audacity, which addresses all audiences, ignites conversations, and incites action through iconic work. A prime example is the “What happens here, stays here” campaign for Las Vegas, which earned us a front-page profile in The New York Times. Advertising Age lists R&R Partners as among the top 200 largest agencies in the U.S. based on revenue and among the top 30 “Best Places to Work in Marketing & Media.” Our strategic thinking has been covered by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Dateline NBC and ABC Nightline. Learn more by visiting www.rrpartners.com, stopping by our Las Vegas headquarters, or checking out our offices in Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Reno, Salt Lake City, Washington, D.C. and Mexico City.

About Free Arts of Arizona
Founded in 1993, Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona is a non-profit organization which heals homeless and abused children through artistic expression. Free Arts programs include creative elements that promote safety, self-expression and a sense of belonging. All Free Arts programs, delivered by volunteers and artists, serve more than 8,000 children annually through partnerships with 42 social service child welfare agencies at 100+ sites across Maricopa County. For more information on Free Arts, visit: www.freeartsaz.org.

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