The Pollock Arts Initiative was founded as the VPMI (Vanessa Pollock Music Initiative) in partnership with the Achieve Foundation in early 2015 by Charlie and Vanessa Pollock, and was expanded in 2024 to incorporate a broader scope of arts programming support. The initiative helps fund the rental of musical instruments and arts equipment to eliminate financial barriers to participation in arts programming for District students. The PAI may help cover the cost to repair instruments and fund arts equipment and supplies throughout the South Orange-Maplewood School District (SOMSD), and to provide private instruction and professional-grade instruments/equipment to prodigious Columbia High School visual and performing arts students, who are nominated for the award by their music or fine arts teachers.

Since its inception, the PAI has underwritten the rental of 1020 nstruments so that all students who wish to participate in band or orchestra are able to do so, and has awarded 69 scholarships for private music lessons or professional-grade instruments to talented CHS students. Over the years, the VMPI has also funded several music and fine arts-related teacher grant requests through Achieve.

The Pollock Arts Initiative is conducted in partnership with the SOMSD and Achieve, the local Education Foundation. Achieve is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds to promote exemplary public education for all students and educators in our community. Said Achieve Executive Director Eileen Collins Neri, “The PAI is compatible with Achieve’s mission to help ensure that all children in the South Orange-Maplewood School District have equal access to every learning opportunity, and we’re thrilled to support the arts in our schools through this fund.”