ART 180 FAQs


		[Frequently Asked Questions]

It feels good when I draw. I draw what I see in my mind.
Leroy, 10

If you don't find
the answer you're looking for, drop us an email at 180@art180.org

It refers to the 180-degree change we hope to encourage within the young people we serve, and in the larger community through publication and exhibition of our young people's work.

ART 180 was incorporated in November 1998, and we began doing events and programs earlier that summer.

ART 180's mission is to give young people the change to express themselves through art, and to share their stories with others. We do this by designing and providing programs for young people challenged by their circumstances, and by seeing that their voices are heard in the community--through performances, exhibits, media campaigns, publications.

Our interest isn't in creating future Van Goghs, but rather creating future leaders who transcend their circumstances and work to effect positive change around them. Through our programs, young people discover ways they can positively engage in and influence their surroundings--through a billboard advising their peers to "find a dream and stick with it" or a painting depicting the effects of violence on young lives.

Our fall 2007 partners include Charity Family Life; Friends Association for Children; Highland Park Community Center; Peter Paul Development Center; The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, William Byrd Community House; The "I Have a Dream" Foundation at Broad Rock Elementary; a new collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club of Richmond together with the Visual Arts Center; and a unique four-way partnership with Camp Diva, Family Resource Center and FIRST Contractors.

While Richmond has no shortage of organizations serving disadvantaged youth, many do not have the staff and resources needed to provide meaningful art programs. By collaborating with these organizations, we are able to offer art opportunities that would otherwise not be available. They are able to offer us the support of counselors, staff, and knowledge that comes from years of experience working with the young people we serve.

ART 180 raises funds to provide programs; recruits, trains, and manages the artists; and looks for ways to present the final work in some kind of public venue. Our partners host programs at their facilities and provide valuable links to the community and to families. They recruit young people for programs and intervene when discipline, attendance, or emotional issues arise.

Young people challenged by their circumstances--whether that's poverty, neglect, the constant threat of drugs and violence, etc.

ART 180 recruits and trains artists who visit our partner sites on a weekly basis each spring and fall (usually for 12 weeks). They work with small groups of young people for an hour or more, and sometimes the artists work in pairs or teams. When recruiting artists, we look for individuals who are able to work with, nurture, and inspire children. Before beginning their programs, they are trained by ART 180 and Virginia Mentoring Partnership, and attend an on-site orientation session. Our artists come into each situation with more than paints and clay--they come with an understanding of the circumstances and needs of the young people they'll be working with, and with a curriculum that emphasizes individual expression, personal growth, and self-discovery.

Seven to eight.

Through performances, exhibits, media campaigns, and publications. We've tried everything from framed art displayed in a gallery, to messages on the sides of city buses, to our own poetry zine.

Generally, artists who lead multi-week programs are paid $25 per session. Occasionally, for a large-scale project that requires more commitment from the artist, we are able to pay more. We do not pay artists for one-day events.

It varies, depending on the nature of the site, the program, and how the children are recruited by our site partner. Some programs intentionally have all new participants, while others have a combination of new and returning. Our ongoing poetry program in Gilpin has had some of the same children attending a couple of years.

ART 180 works only with young people identified by our partners in the specific communities we serve.

At any given moment, more than 75 volunteers actively help ART 180 meet its mission--25 help with programs and another 50 or so serve on the board or committees or help with one-time events.

Absolutely. ART 180 is a community-based organization that relies on a variety and diversity of talents and resources in our community. We always need financial support and help with program support, special events, and administrative tasks.

You can contribute your time and/or financial resources. We can send a volunteer packet to help you find the right match between your skills and interests and our needs. Volunteer opportunities include project leaders, program support, designers for ART 180 materials and products, administrative tasks (such as data entry and mailings), and special events.

It grew out of a belief that young people should have a voice, and that adults can learn a lot from what they have to say. We also believe in the importance of creative expression, the therapeutic benefits of art, and the personal growth a program like this can make possible, especially for disadvantaged children. All that drove the two founders, Kathleen Lane and Marlene Paul, to begin defining, researching, and building their dream throughout late 1997 and 1998. Both communications professionals, they met at an advertising agency and crafted ART 180 on the side until it became a 501(c)(3) corporation in June 1999 and they quit their other jobs.

ART 180's 2007 annual operating budget is $272,000. Each year we work to generate sufficient income to meet our budget through foundation and government grants and contributions from board members, individuals, small businesses and corporations, and civic and church groups. We also generate some revenue through product sales and fees for services. We are always looking for ways to raise funds--it's a never-ending job and requires the efforts of lots of people.

No. Though we sometimes reproduce children's art for display or publication purposes, all original art is returned to them.

By what we see and hear with our own eyes and ears. Seeing a tough 16-year-old cry when a bus with her message on its side rolls out of the garage for the first time. Hearing a 14-year-old say that writing has helped her cope with the loss of her beloved grandmother, and with the murder of her cousin. Seeing a bashful 10-year-old finally take pride in her drawing and say "Art makes me feel like I can do anything." Knowing that a 13-year-old boy would rather come to poetry class than do anything else, year after year.

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