Art. Power. Community.

Artistic Noise exists to bring the freedom and power of artistic practice to young people who are incarcerated, on probation, or otherwise involved in the justice system. Through visual arts and entrepreneurship programs, our participants give voice to their experiences, build community through collaborative projects, and learn valuable life and job skills. We create safe spaces where court-involved youth can be seen, heard, and supported on their path to adulthood. 

Your contribution will go directly towards our three distinct art programs:

Studio Art Workshops on Rikers Island - In these weekly workshops, our Teaching Artists provide incarcerated youth with a safe and structured environment to share their stories. The focus of these workshops rotates seasonally, from issues of social justice to inspirational themes of goals and ambitions. Participants may be first-time art makers or accomplished youth artists and everyone’s enrollment in the workshop is voluntary. The priority of this program is to support incarcerated youth by providing them with the means to document and process their complex feelings, while developing their abilities for creative expression and interpretation. 

Art Therapy Workshops with the Department of Probation - These weekly workshops are offered to groups of young people who are on probation and led by our Teaching Artists and Art Therapy staff. The objective of this program is for youth to cultivate an authentic and grounded identity while working towards a deeper level of self-awareness. We help them achieve this by setting boundaries and providing emphatic support. Utilizing a clinical rationale, we collaboratively consider goals, strengths and challenges to guide how individual and group sessions are conducted. Through the process of making art, we create opportunities wherein the youth can reflect upon their experiences to develop coping and communication skills to self-regulate one's emotions. 

Art, Entrepreneurship and Curatorial Program (A&E) - Taking place in our Harlem Studio, this twice weekly workshop is an intensive program for participants to develop their business skills and creative abilities. Youth are given a stipend and full access to our facilities, including opportunities with our partner institutions; School of Visual Arts, MoMA, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Columbia University. Led by our Teaching Artists and Art Therapy staff, the workshops are geared toward independent growth and maturity within a group environment. Participants learn artistic techniques in different media, study contemporary artists working with issues of social justice, and produce an independent body of work throughout the year. Youth in this program gain access to business training in marketing, branding, and communication, and are given an annual microgrant to develop and implement an idea or product that they can sell.

Artistic Noise is one of the only arts non-profits that is able to provide long-term support to its participants. Through our three programs, we work with individuals over the course of several years and develop lasting relationships with our participants. Our youth artists are passionate, creative, and full of potential. We believe in them and stand by their side during incredibly challenging times. We also get to see them grow, flourish, and win. Artistic Noise is more than an organization, we are a family.

Please donate to our campaign today. Your contribution will go directly towards our three programs. With your help we can continue to support our amazing youth!

Learn more about what we do and who we are at ArtisticNoise.org