September 09, 2015

Start: A YoungStarters Exhibition

We're proud to present the YoungStarters 2015 exhibition, Start. The show opens on Wednesday, September 9 and runs until Sunday, September 27, 2015. The exhibition is featured on the second floor of the ArtStarts Gallery in Vancouver.

YoungStarters is a free arts mentorship program that invited teens in the foster care system to take the lead in individual art based projects. This year, nine teens gathered at the ArtStarts LAB over the course of seven days to explore creativity, different art practices (visual arts, writing and performance) and what it means to be a part of a community.

We engaged local artists to facilitate exploratory workshops. Marisa Pahl taught 10 different painting techniques, while the Writer's Exchange introduced narrative creation through photography and various writing styles. And finally, Dia Davina provided an opportunity to build confidence through performance and slam poetry.

Working through the creative process, each teen was asked to consider their everyday lives and what they wanted to communicate through their art form. They were provided with the resources and support from four mentors, each offering specific skills, experiences and perspectives.

Over the course of four studio days, the teens individually worked on art projects, while re-grouping periodically to talk about their creative process. Each of the teens also had the opportunity to prepare meals for one another to further develop life skills while communing together to build and nurture their community.

This project was made possible in partnership with the Vancouver Foundation's Fostering Change initiative. We would also like to acknowledge and thank the amazing community organizations and businesses that supported this project:

• Plea Community Services
• Opus Art Supplies
• The Window Community Art Shop
• Vancouver Art Gallery 
• Aunt Leah's Place
• Adoptive Families Association of BC
• Broadway Youth Resource Centre
• Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks
• LOVE (Leave Out Violence)
• Spirit of the Children
• South Vancouver Youth Centre
• Urban Native Youth Association
• Lu'ma Native Housing Society (Aboriginal Youth Mentorship and Housing Program)

The ArtStarts Gallery is the first in Canada devoted exclusively to young people's art. Since the gallery opened in 2006, our exhibitions have celebrated the exciting artwork that emerges when students, educators and professional artists work together to deepen learning, creativity and community connections.

The ArtStarts Gallery is located at 808 Richards Street (at Robson) in downtown Vancouver. The Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4:30pm. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.

Social Sharing