Teran Patchefsky Wedding

In lieu of a wedding gift, please consider making a donation to Artistic Noise, a grassroots arts organization near-and-dear to Michal's heart!

Since 2001, Artistic Noise has collaborated with artists, educators, activists, as well as arts organizations-such as Kasmin Gallery, The Studio Museum in Harlem and Whitney Museum of American Art–to create safe and celebratory spaces with teens and young adults, who are incarcerated, on probation, in foster care, or in other ways impacted by the juvenile court system.

In May 2025, the critical NEA grant promised to Artistic Noise was rescinded. With your support, Artistic Noise can continue to empower system-impacted youth through art. 

Artistic Noise's key programs include: 

Art & Entrepreneurship is led by a Teaching Artist and Art Therapist each week, offering a safe environment for young people to build creative skills through hands-on artmaking. Participants also gain work experience at AN's storefront studio, earning a $17.50/hour stipend in addition to 100% of the proceeds for every artwork they sell through the gallery's exhibitions.

Art & Care is a youth-centered weekly drop-in program held at the School of Visual Arts and led by AN's Art Therapists and Teaching Artists to provide assistance with basic needs, individualized therapy and other health-related services, while increasing participants' visibility and impact within an academic space that might otherwise seem inaccessible. Free Metrocards, food, drinks, childcare supplies, artmaking materials and more are available for anyone who needs them.

Alternatives to Incarceration is a weekly program in partnership with Midtown Community Justice Center and the Center for Justice Innovation. As part of NYC’s Project Reset, this initiative offers emerging adults the choice to participate in creative, therapeutic workshops in place of more punitive measures, such as fines or probation. Workshops involve group discussions, reflections on personal experiences, and a series of guided artmaking activities that aim to address the oftentimes anonymous and dehumanizing nature of court-involved experiences.