Artists for Humanity

Artists for Humanity (AFH) is a Boston, Massachusetts based nonprofit organization that supports young emerging artists. " Artists For Humanity's" mission is to "bridge economic, racial and social divisions by providing underserved youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts." [http://www.afhboston.com/mainShell.html] "Artists for Humanity" has been honored with a 2001 "Coming Up Taller Award" from the President's Committee on Arts and Humanities. [http://www.cominguptaller.org/awards.html]

The organization seeks to address problems facing urban youth by encouraging the talent and energy of young people through hands-on experience in creativity, business, teamwork, and self-discipline. While young participants acquire techniques and creative tools from professional artists, they learn to interact with the business world and prepare for future artistic exploration, training, and employment.

"Artists for Humanity" annually hires up to 60 teenagers, often from urban Boston neighborhoods, for after-school work and training in the arts and entrepreneurship. The young artists produce work under professional direction and then learn skills which allow them to display and sell the art they produce. At "Artists for Humanity", teenagers begin a 90-hour apprenticeship, working a minimum of six hours a week for an hourly wage. The project produces paintings, murals, theatrical sets, photographs, silk-screened T-shirts, and graphic designs which are sold to individual and corporate clients. As they express themselves through the arts, youth learn to exert control over micro-enterprises and are encouraged to expand these newly learned skills into other areas of their lives. In addition to the selected young artists, the project provides space for additional local youth to work with the artists and AFH members on short-term and personal projects.

Begun in 1990 by Massachusetts artist Susan Rodgerson, the project originated with six middle school students in a modest Boston studio. Rodgerson expanded her personal initial effort into a non-profit organization in 1993, and moved to two floors of a wharf-area warehouse. Rodgerson, now acting as "Artists for Humanity" executive director, weighed issues of expansion, staffing, and a capital campaign to raise money to secure funding and a building for the ongoing project. Currently AFH paid staff are primarily young people, organized as the City Teens Design Company (CTDC), who both market their artwork and help administer the project. They serve on a peer evaluation board that evaluates participants and their work. Young staff members also meet with prospective business clients, target prospective audiences, and work directly with artists and business advisors.

The EpiCenter, AFH's new urban headquarters, was completed in 2007. The building includes fine and commercial art studios and a 5000 square foot (465 m2) gallery space for student art; to aid project funding the gallery space is also rented for events. The building was designed to model environmental stewardship and was chosen as an AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project for 2007. [http://www.aiatopten.org/hpb/overview.cfm?ProjectID=736]

External links

* [http://www.afhboston.com/mainShell.html Artists for Humanity]