Impact

ART ENABLES BEAUTIFUL STARTS NOW

Light Paintings by NYC SALT founder Alicia Hansen. Courtesy of NYC SALT.

Courtesy of NYC SALT. Light Paintings by NYC SALT founder Alicia Hansen.

Art helps kids get a more beautiful start in life. For those challenged by poverty, war, abuse, illness, & disabilities, art can make even more of an impact. Here are 2 programs that help give kids a break & a start… a chance to rise above.

NYC SALT

NYC SALT is a non-profit organization that helps inner-city at-risk teenagers discover and develop their storytelling abilities through the lens of a camera.

Most students come from low-income, mostly Latino, families in NYC, with little access to education and the arts.

The program provides the teens with cameras, computers, and professional guidance.

Combining top-notch photography instruction with college education prep courses, the students are taught by professional photographers, editors, videographers, and graphic designers who volunteer their time, expertise, and business connections.

As the teens develop their skills, they also develop their self-esteem.

The kids also take frequent trips to major media companies, such as Bloomberg News, Sports Illustrated, and Miramax Pictures, where they can see how professional photographers work.

Many of the students’ photographs are showcased and sold, which help to fund the organization’s continuing operations.

Students are encouraged to build portfolios which they can use for applying to colleges and freelance jobs. This year, NYC SALT has begun working with local businesses to help the students take small freelance jobs to practice their skills and earn money for college.

You can learn more about NYC SALT and support them here.

THE ZA’ATARI PROJECT

The escalating relentless Syrian War has quickly turned Za’atari, in northern Jordan, into the world’s 2nd largest refugee camp, with approximately 100,000 residents, many of whom are children. Narrowly escaping death, experiencing devastating atrocities, they are traumatized.

Even as they find temporary reprieve and shelter in the camp, they face fear, boredom, desolation, and desperation. These kids need a better start. They need hope.

Mural artist Joel Bergner was moved to help. He connected with a team of Syrian refugees, local artists, and educators, and partnered with with groups such as UNICEF and Mercy Corps, to create a program that uses art to help create a more beautiful start for these kids who need it most.

Bergner’s group leads workshops that not only teach the kids about art, but, in doing so, also teach them about water conservation, hygiene, conflict resolution, and social issues.

Giving a voice to refugee children, the project features positive messages and uplifting imagery, making a beautiful start to the young kids’ lives.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT. Light Paintings by NYC SALT founder Alicia Hansen.
Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT. Love 2 by Danny Martinez.
Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT. Building Reflection by Donis Almanzar.
Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT.
Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT. Unviel by Devin Osorio.
Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT. Little Red Lighthouse by Devin Osorio.
Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT. Carousel by Christian Ogando.
Image: Courtesy of Joel Bergner aka Joel Artista. Reema mural Za’atari 5.
Image: Courtesy of Joel Bergner aka Joel Artista. Reema mural Za’atari 5.
Image: Courtesy of Joel Bergner aka Joel Artista. I dream of…
Image: Courtesy of Joel Bergner aka Joel Artista. Joel Bergner.
Image: Courtesy of Joel Bergner aka Joel Artista.
Image: by BN App - Download now!
Image: Courtesy of NYC SALT. Monarch by Melody Dunbar.