Youth Spirit Artworks Inspires At-Risk Youth Through Art
A young girl and her mother were living on the streets. Her father was in jail, and she had just been expelled from Berkeley High. The girl was attending B-Tech when she found a program called Youth Spirit Artworks. After enrolling in the program, she decided to turn her life around. She now attends San Francisco State and sells artwork to help keep herself financially sound.
Youth Spirit Artworks, founded in 2007, works to inspire and empower at-risk youth through art and job training. The program provides at-risk youth with a steady income through art sales, and teaches valuable life skills. Jasmine Johnson, a member of YSA, describes it as a “program keeping youth off the street so that they can be creative in many different ways.”
The program takes in around 100 kids annually, ranging in age from 16 to 25. All participants share a love of art, however, no previous artistic experience is necessary. “YSA acts as a seasonal job training program,” said YSA Director Sally Hindman. The program allows youth who love art to work, earn money, and help revitalize communities. There are two major program areas of YSA: Commercial Arts Entrepreneurship, and Community Art. CAE allows students to create art to sell, and allows students to keep 50 percent of all profits. Community Art involves students in public art made to revitalize communities, such as murals and mosaics. Students can participate in YSA through internships, or take part in the after school programs. The after school program takes place three days a week from 3:30 to 6:30, allowing students to develop their artistic skills.
YSA was founded in 2007, and is now in its fourth year. The program took a group trip to New Orleans to visit Young Aspirations, Young Artists (YAYA), the organization that YSA was modeled after, and they hope to take other trips in the future. “YSA is all about peace,” said Johnson. The program tries to advocate peace in many of their pieces. The organization is “more than just artwork,” said Johnson. “We are creating new jobs for the youth in addition to a positive mentality.” The students don’t just improve artistically, but grow personally as they learn in a supportive environment. The artists also have the option of meeting with an expressive arts therapist. YSA works closely with shelters and other youth organizations in order to keep their youth off the streets and to provide them with as much help as possible. YSA is currently accepting applications for their Fall and Winter art jobs training program. The program runs from October to January, and students are paid a stipend for their work.
YSA empowers and helps students in and around Berkeley, and has contributed to the revitalization and beautification of many communities. “Our mission is to use art jobs to empower and transform the lives of youth and give them skills, experience and the self confidence to meet their full potential,” Hindman explained.
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