Organization Overview

Numerous published, peer-reviewed research studies demonstrate that art reduces the effects of trauma and facilitates the development of self-esteem, and coping, life, and critical thinking skills in youth. Studies show the act of creating facilitates healing in the areas in the brain affected by trauma. The youth we serve lack access to art, creating an inequity in their ability to recover from their trauma and develop critical thinking and life skills that could improve their life prospects. Youth with unaddressed trauma are at higher risk of teen pregnancies, addiction, mental illness, lack of education and interaction with the justice system, that lead to lifelong addiction, violence, and poor health.

Free Arts disrupts this inequity by engaging underserved youth in responsive art workshops, giving them the opportunity to begin healing from their trauma, addressing their mental health needs, and developing critical thinking, social, communication and advocacy skills that improve their life prospects.

Free Arts staff and teaching artists are trained as mentors and sourced from local state colleges and underserved communities where Free Arts works. Youth develop a positive relationship with a culturally responsive adult role model that coaches and mentors them to develop coping, communication, advocacy, and social skills and helps them develop a lifelong outlet for negative emotions through art. Free Arts curriculum is rooted in colors, genres, subjects, and themes and includes art history for each art subject.

Free Arts curriculum is culturally and linguistically responsive to the youth we serve in colors, genres, subjects, and themes and includes art history for each culturally responsive subject and art project. Youth develop pride in their own culture and learn more about others, and how they differ or are the same.