MESSAGE FROM THE CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS
In the past year, we have been reminded of the construct of a village being an integral component to the development and growth of youth and our art community. After my inaugural year at Art Start, I’ve been graced with time to reflect and learn from the great lesson that is starting something new and allowing myself to lean into the work differently. The opportunity to work in this creative community as a self-defined bureaucrat with a deep and abiding love for all forms of art has been transformative and invigorating. Our youth, staff, and leaders have continued to make strides toward excellence in the creation of art, forging new partnerships, and creating sustainable pathways toward career growth within the creative economy. In the midst of societal challenges and uncertainties, Art Start has been a constant source of support and inspiration for young people from impacted communities. Our dedicated team, volunteers, and partners have worked tirelessly to create a safe haven where creativity flourishes, dreams are nurtured, and resilience is cultivated.
Art Start continues to strive toward new heights, expanding our reach and deepening our impact through creating expansive data systems that will grow as our program services extend to a wider audience. Whether it is through our innovative creative art workshops, mentorship programs, or collaborative initiatives with community partners, we've witnessed lives being provided space to develop to full potential. Our commitment to breaking down barriers and providing opportunities for self-discovery has never wavered, and the results speak for themselves.
Thank you for being a member of our community as we continue to grow. Together, we are not just changing the narrative; we are rewriting it with each stroke of a paintbrush, beat of a drum, and shared ideology of creativity being accessible to all.
Co-Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer
2023 was an exciting year to dig deeper into our partnerships with industry collaborators, donors, foundation partners, and the amazing people in our city, state and federal governments that ensure arts and culture funding touches the lives of individual youth and emerging artists. Art Start prides itself as being one community, from our participants to our supporters, united and equalized through the creative process.
I’ve been fortunate to connect with stakeholders personally, learning how our missions and strategies can combine in innovative ways to achieve our collective goals. Our new VIP membership program, Metronome, has been exciting to manifest, connecting creative professionals through exclusive arts and culture experiences while contributing vital sustainability to our programs. Thanks to a complex approach to industry collaboration, Art Start participants are accessing not just arts and industry exposure, but opportunities to earn financial stipends, employment wages, and commissions; changing not just their future but their day-to-day lives right now. The creative sector is not only their domain tomorrow, but today.
We’ve worked hard to diversify our funding streams for maximum sustainability of projects, programs, and operations. As we look ahead into 2024, we’ll be engaging more industry partners and individual donors in meaningful ways, as their investment into our programs not only sustains Art Start’s impact, but offers unrestricted resources to maintain and attract talented, dedicated staff members that fuel the work, day after day. We know that meaningful relationships are at the heart of mentoring young people, and consistency and sustainability their greatest catalyst.
Co-Executive Director, Chief Growth Officer
JOHANNA DE LOS
SANTOS
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear Community,
As we reflect on the past year at Art Start, we are filled with gratitude for the journey we've undertaken and the impact we've made in the art community. Our dedication to our mission has remained unwavering, and our commitment to supporting emerging artists has only grown stronger.
We've witnessed the transformative power of art in the lives of individuals from diverse backgrounds. From providing resources and opportunities to aspiring artists to organizing community art events that fostered connection and creativity, every endeavor has been a testament to the profound significance of art in enriching lives and shaping communities.
I’m most proud of how we've adapted and innovated over the year, finding new ways to engage with our community and amplify our impact. Everything form bringing on new Directors to establishing better financial protocols, we’ve remained agile, responsive, and durable as an organization.
Looking ahead, we are energized by the possibilities that the future holds. We are poised to continue our journey of empowerment, inspiration, and community building. Together, we will create a future where every individual has the opportunity to unleash their creativity and realize their full potential through art.
Board President
MARION TANIS
Marion Tanis Board President
Senior Creative - Expereince Strategist, Apple TV
Dore Murphy Board Vice President Director - Marketing and Audience Strategy, The Miuseum of Modern Art
Angelica Li Board Secretary Independent Musician
Leonne Tanis Board Treasurer Midwifery Fellow, The George Washington University Hospital
Amy Kanagaki Board Member Owner and Executive Producer, Tann Services
Armon Lewis-Amore Board Member Events and Experiential Director, The Experiential Agency
Cathie Urushibata Board Member Creative Director - Design, Shake Shack
Daniel Kema Omachonu Board Member Senior Account Manager, Amazon Web Services
David Turchin Board Member Business Unit Director - Art, YSDS
Elizabeth Gardner Board Member Senior Director - Partnerships and Advertising, Film at Lincoln Center
Emma Strachman Board Member
Professional Television & Film Make-Up Artist; IATSE Local 798 Union Member and Action Team Representative
Jamison Antoine Board Member Vice President - Global Customer Experience, Warner Music
Scott Rosenberg Board Member, Founder Art Start Founder, Independent Artist
Walden Huntley-Fenner Board Member Manager - Global Social Impact, Sotheby's
Zachary Maxwell Stertz Board Member
Commercial Photographer & Owner, Zachary Maxwell Stertz Photography
MISSION AND VISION
OU r MISSI o N
Art Start uses the creative process to nurture the voices, hearts, and minds of historically marginalized youth, offering a space for them to imagine, believe, and represent their creative vision for their lives and communities.
Through consistent workshops with long-term partners, including youth organizations, schools, alternative sentencing programs, and residences for youth and families experiencing homelessness, art becomes the starting point of a larger life process, and the start of larger conversations about the future of our communities.
OU r Mo D el
Art Start uses a youth-centered approach to education and mentorship. Our programs guide young people to appreciate who they innately are, discovering what they have to offer the world, encouraging them to think critically, ask important questions, and identify the opportunities in their paths.
Many of our students are experiencing times of instability and transition, in systems that often stifle creativity. We focus on providing safe space for artistic expression and exploration, with an emphasis on the creative process that encourages positive risk taking and personal development.
growth in 2023
creative
con N ections
In 2023, enrollmnent in our Emerging Artists Residency increasd by three times since 2021. Under the Creative Connections program, we reached hundreds of students through increased access to studio drop-in hours, creative sessions, and college access mentorship. 2023, also saw the launch of our first ever apprenticeship in collaboration with Phillips.
Public excha N ges
Public Exchanges is a public platform for the voices and visions of Art Start participants to engage with the public through exhibitions, publications and other multimedia works.
In 2023, Art Start's Public Exchanges projects were experienced by thousands of in-person attendees, with millions of media impressions by way of the New York City subways and online. Access to a public platform to creatively express their self-determination, 65 Art Start participants continued to establish themselves as confident voices and emerging creatives in our city.
We partnered with Sotheby's to hold our See Me Because, Volume 11 exhibition in their New York gallery space bringing the voices and visions of Art Start youth into a prominent art world institution. Last August and September, the See Me Because public transit campaign reached millions of NYC transit riders via subway platform live boards at seven stations across Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn. The campaign centered the young artists' portraits and career aspirations, presenting to the world the 'Next in Class of Creative Talent.'
creative collectives
Creative Collectives provides year-round daily and weekly workshops at partnership locations, including youth detention centers and family shelters. Last year, we forged new partnerships with two organizations: Commonpoint Queens in Jamaica, Queens and the Center for Community Alternatives in Brownsville, Brooklyn. We were able to bring our visual arts and music workshops to these new locations and add six new workshops to our weekly schedule.
Creative Collectives objectives include:
• To use the creative arts to help counteract the anxiety, depression, and isolation our young participants often experience as a result of their present circumstances.
• To decrease alienation, fight social stigma, build a sense of community, and foster greater human connection.
• To provide children with a safe space in which to take positive risks among supportive adults and peers as they build confidence,
• self-esteem, and resilience to unpredictability and turmoil.
Over 700 workshops
Family engagement activities
Social
Emotional Learning Curriculum
Workshops held: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Music, Culinary Arts, Food Justice, and Gardening
EVALUATION AND OUTCOMES
When Polo Mora joined Art Start’s Creative Connections program in New York, he had identified an interest in visual art and design and didn’t know where to channel his creativity. Through the Emerging Artist Program, he was able to explore various creative careers, and network with industry professionals. As part of his residency, he completed graphic design work to submit to a contest for package design on a Dr. Jart+ skincare product that was offered to various Art Start students. Polo worked with an Art Start appointed design mentor to help visualize and finalize his submission, which won the contest. His design was globally licensed by Dr. Jart+/Estee Lauder and the product was released in Sephora stores worldwide in the Spring of 2024. Polo found confidence and pride in this experience, and has something quite notable on his resume moving forward. Since graduating the Emerging Artist Program, Polo has gained employment with an interior design and furniture making firm, and is excited to be employed in a creative job, while also advancing his design art.
1,109 youth accessed our programs
2023 IMPACT
890 workshops held
998 hours of paid career development time Across our Programs
$35,249.75 paid out in student wages
SPOTLIGHT: PHILLIPS APPRENTICESHIP
In June 2023, in collaboration with Phillips, we launched The Phillips Apprenticeship, a firstof-its-kind program for the auction industry, certified by the New York Department of Labor, promoting inclusivity in the art market by fostering a more open and diverse career landscape. Three Art Start youth were selected and hired for a full-time, paid apprenticeship in auction house and museum services. Apprentices are gaining firsthand experience in the various career paths that are available in the secondary market, while being immersed in works of 20th Century & Contemporary Art, Design, Editions, Photographs, Jewels, and Watches. Apprentices work in areas such as specialist departments, Events, Operations, Property Handling, and Client Services. Upon successful completion of the apprencticeship, they will be offered full-time employment.
CoLlEgE ACCESS AND
In 2023, Art Start focused on establishing college and career readiness as a core component of our Creative Connections program with the goal of expanding access to higher education and apprenticeship learning in our community. We implemented projects that generate interest in and explore various pathways to higher education in the arts including education road mapping, professional learning opportunities, Financial Aid Support Open Hours, and application roundups.
Road Mapping
Art Start participants are supported in conceptualizing and creating a visual representation of their college pathway, inspiring them to reflect on their intentions, motivations, and possibilities. With ongoing support from Art Start’s Academic Advisor and college accessmentors, Road Mapping also supports youth that may face barriers to accessing resources, and helps them work through hesitations, making sure they know that college is within their reach and that Art Start will be there to support them throughout the application and full educational journey.
Professional Learning Opportunities (PLOs)
Participants have access to various opportunities to visit colleges and meet faculty, connect meaningfully with mentors from the creative industries, and speak with artists whose lives have been positively impacted through the experience of attending college. PLO’s support youth’s optimism, seeing themselves having the college experience, as well as generating hands-on learning and growth opportunities within a network of invested, professional mentors.
95 Creative Industry and Community Partners
In partnership with the Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation, we hosted six participants to complete a Fashion Marketing photoshoot project for the fashion brand. Over the course of 2 weeks, participants met at Art Start to discuss, conceptualize, plan, and execute the project. They also met with a representative from the brand to discuss the creative brief and gain insight into the brand’s look and feel. The youth led the entire project, from creative directing and producing to photographing, modeling, styling, and editing. The final photos were featured in the press and on Kurt Geiger’s newsletter and social media.
PERSISTENCE PROGRAM
FAFSA Open Hours
Accessing financial aid resources can be overwhelming, and financial literacy is at the foundation of exploring both loan and scholarship options, as well as sustaining one’s living expenses throughout the college experience. Art Start commits to the full educational and application process, from financial literacy, income and expense planning, scholarship research, FAFSA applications, and planning for a healthy work/study/life balance. Committed mentors from Art Start’s partnering financial institutions collaborate with our Academic Advisor to guide the process with participants and their guardians, talking through options and supporting a plan that works best for the participant.
Application Roundup
Participants are encouraged to create “dream school” pipelines that offer them the opportunity to explore various possibilities, including in-state and out-of-state options, college versus university, public versus private, and dive into specific degree program offerings with an open mind. This process also includes taking virtual and in-person campus tours to support their decision making.
REVENUE AND EXPENSE BREAKDOWN
$1,394,444
FY23 TOTAL EXPENSES
$1,256,611
OUR SUPPORTERS
Institutional Giving
American Online Giving Foundation
Babylon Union Free School District
Bader Philanthropies
Bombas
Center for Community Alternatives
Charities Aid Foundation
Charles Hayden Foundation
Christian Louboutin
Christmas Magic
Citizens Bank
Dr. Jart+
Elleon Leather
Fidelity Charitable
Frederic R Coudert Foundation
Gloss Studio
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Heil Family Foundation
Herschel Supply Company
Humanities New York
Hyde and Watson Foundation
James B. Mintzer Foundation
Jim Fornari and Amy Gillenson Family Foundation
Jim Jacobs Foundation
Keith Haring Foundation
Kellogg PEAK Initiative
Kurt Geiger Kindness Foundation
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
Lily Auchincloss Foundation
Max J. and Winnie S. Rosenshein Foundation
Mental Insight Foundation
Milwaukee Arts Board
Milwaukee Public Schools Partnership for the Arts and Humanities
National Endowment for the Arts
New York State Council on the Arts
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York City Department of Youth and Community Development
Once-Future Office
PayPal Giving Fund
Phillips
Pinkerton Foundation
Commonpoint Queens
Sheltering Arms
The Claire and Theodore Morse Foundation
The Color Factory LLC
The Gardner Family Foundation
The Ichigo Foundation
The Masters School
The Matchfire Group
The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation
The Rona Jaffe Foundation
The West Side Community Fund
United Photo Industries
United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County
William Talbott Hillman Foundation
Wisconsin Arts Board
Wisconsin Humanities Council
individual donors
Alexander Hardin
Alexandra and Antoni Talty
Alice Sciarrino
Amir Hariri
Amy Brenna
Andrea Hanaway
Andrew Bartel
Angelica Li
Angelo Trinidad
Anna Johnson
April C. Hatton
Ariel Brennan
Betsy a. Knafo
Brian G. Marilla
Briana Wahl
Carolyn Meehan
Cathie Urushibata
Chance Childers
Chinua Green
Christine M. Hansen
Claude Scher
Cody Hopkinson
Colin Ross
Cory Newton
Dan/Julie Grundmann/Paris
Daniel K. Omachonu
Daniel Maughan
Diane Botnick
Dore Murphy
Dudley Antoine
Dylan Stein
Elizabeth Jones
Emily Ruben
Emma Strachman
Eva K. Milcetic
Gabrielle Cucocio
Gavin Huntley-Fenner
Heather Day
Helena S. Starcevic
Isaac Caverhill-Godkewitsch
Jae French
Jameel Murray
James Kaplan
Jamie Ebright
Jamison Antoine
Janina Czerewin
Jed D. Melnick
Jeffrey Savio
Jenn Eakin
Jennifer Franz
Jenny Hellman
Jenny M. Williams
Jenny Schutzman
Jessica Contrastano
Jessica Dickinson
Jill O'Brien
John Harvey
Johnny Gaffney
Jon Thornton
Katherine Eades
Katie Heil
Larissa Marcellino
Lindsey F. Jones
Lisa Garber
Lisa Lewis
Lisa Mitchell
Mark-Anthony Kai Hudson
Mary Mullally
Matthew Amore
Meg G. Hale
Michael Fallacaro
Michelle Silver
Nancy Altman
Nedelle Torrisi
Nicole Beloyianis
Nicole Fell
Nicole Reeder
Noel Wiggins
Patrick Ferris
Rachel Levine
Renetta Welty
Scott Rosenberg
Sharon Grigely
Shazdeh Zeigler
Sheilah Mabry
Skyler Bailey
Stephan Joseph
Stephanie D. Shemin
Suzanna Cameron
Thanh Tran
Tyler Ben-Amotz
Tyler Isaacson
Zachary M. Stertz
Zoe Salzman