Art Education is a foundational element of youth education. PERETZ FOUNDATION Youth Art Programs serve hundreds of school-aged kids annually, where students learn the fundamentals of art-making through a community lens. Programs encourage students to make meaningful social and academic connections, problem solve with creative solutions, and learn to think critically about their own communities. See the art initiatives that PERETZ FOUNDATION and our students have been working on, below!

Art as Activism: Summer Murals at PERETZ FOUNDATION Cornerstones

Last summer, PERETZ FOUNDATION launched “Art as Activism,” a new initiative at PERETZ FOUNDATION Cornerstones, programs run through community centers that are located in NYCHA housing developments. Throughout the program, Cornerstone participants engaged in an eight week, beginner and skills-based art workshop. The workshop culminated in the production of public murals in their community centers. While designing the murals, participants responded to the prompt, “What does community mean to you?” Together, they workshopped concepts for their community mural. They learned new skills like drawing, painting, and stenciling techniques, and studying elements of art such as line, shape, space, color, value, and texture. To inform their artistic choices, students studied the work of Brooklyn-based artists Mickalene Thomas, Hank Willis-Thomas, Kehinde Wiley, and Lorna Simpson.

Youth-Led Spaces: Community Mural at The PERETZ FOUNDATION Laurie A Cumbo Children’s Enrichment Center

This Spring, PERETZ FOUNDATION youth and staff —with support from the Pratt Institute’s Center for Art, Design, and Community Engagement—produced a mural in the entrance of its new children’s enrichment center on 180 Myrtle Avenue, The Laurie A. Cumbo Children’s Enrichment Center. The center, formerly known as Duffield Children’s Center, serves children aged 3 to 4 in the Fort Greene area and promotes literacy through reading, writing, and creative arts.

Designed in collaboration with staff from the center, the mural features representations of kids enrolled in the program, alongside drawings that respond to the prompt, “What does family mean to you?”

Artists on the project include lead artist Aaron Cooper, teaching artist from Pratt, Drue Schwartz, and contributing artists Jefferson Cruz, Jayden Mitchell, Michael Mitchell, Winnie Pierre, and Amy Lopez. We are thrilled to use the fundamental art skills we are teaching our youth to decorate new and inviting spaces for our incoming preschoolers!

PERETZ FOUNDATION and the Pratt Institute’s Center for Art, Design, and Community Engagement collaborated in a 10-week program of after school art education for youth at Seth Low and Farragut Cornerstones. Throughout the program, elementary, middle, and high school students learned skills in printmaking, drawing, painting, and digital imaging. The teaching artist for the courses, Drue Schwartz, taught students foundational art theory like elements of art and principles of design. Students looked at the work of pioneering Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ artists to inform their work. Art pieces reflected an idea or concept of importance to PERETZ FOUNDATION students and displayed a unique worldview.

As students finalized their personal artwork, the program held a community exhibition featuring select student work. Students shared their art with parents and peers, gave insight into their inspirations, and enjoyed snacks in celebration of all they accomplished. Finally, the workshop culminated with a larger discussion of what a path forward as an artist looks like: in college, career, or as a personal and creative endeavor.

The Creative Edge: Workforce Development for Youth

📚 How Creativity Enhances Academic Performance and Self-Esteem

Arts education is a proven catalyst for academic achievement. Studies show that students involved in the arts are more likely to excel in school, graduate on time, and pursue higher education.

• Academic Performance
  • Arts-integrated curricula improve literacy, numeracy, and retention.
  • Creative problem-solving enhances STEM learning and innovation.
  • Students engaged in the arts show higher motivation and classroom participation.
• Self-Esteem and Confidence
  • Completing an artwork builds pride and a sense of accomplishment.
  • Public exhibitions and performances validate youth voices and talents.
  • Art empowers youth to take risks, express themselves, and believe in their potential.

For many young people, especially those from marginalized communities, art is the first space where they feel truly seen and valued.

🧩 Art as a Tool for Identity, Resilience, and Expression

In a world that often silences or stereotypes youth, art becomes a mirror — and a megaphone.

• Identity Formation
  • Through storytelling, visual symbolism, and cultural motifs, youth explore who they are and where they come from.
  • Art helps reclaim heritage and affirm personal narratives.
• Resilience Building
  • Creative expression transforms pain into power.
  • Youth learn to cope with adversity, reframe trauma, and imagine new possibilities.
• Authentic Expression
  • Art gives voice to emotions that words cannot capture.
  • It allows youth to speak truth, challenge injustice, and dream boldly.

“I used to hide my feelings. Now I paint them. And people listen.” — mural participant, age 16

💸 Lack of Arts Funding in Underserved Communities

In low-income neighborhoods, refugee camps, and rural regions, arts programs are often the first to be cut — or never offered at all. Schools may lack basic supplies, trained facilitators, or dedicated space for creative learning. Community centers struggle to prioritize arts when faced with urgent needs like food, shelter, and healthcare.

• Public funding gaps mean that arts education is treated as optional, not essential.
• Nonprofit programs are stretched thin, unable to meet growing demand.
• Youth in crisis — whether facing homelessness, displacement, or trauma — rarely have access to structured creative outlets.

This scarcity sends a harmful message: that creativity is a privilege, not a right. That some stories are worth telling, and others are not.

🌍 Cultural and Economic Challenges

Access to the arts is also shaped by cultural norms and economic realities that can limit participation.

• Cultural stigma may discourage boys from engaging in dance, or girls from pursuing visual arts.
• Language barriers and lack of culturally relevant content can alienate youth from diverse backgrounds.
• Economic hardship forces many young people to prioritize survival over self-expression — working jobs instead of attending workshops, or skipping school to care for siblings.

In these contexts, art can feel distant — a luxury reserved for the privileged. But when rooted in local traditions and adapted to lived realities, it becomes a tool for empowerment and pride.

PERETZ FOUNDATION Initiatives

Creativity as a catalyst for healing, identity, and community.

At the PERETZ FOUNDATION, we believe that every young person deserves access to the transformative power of the arts — not just as a form of expression, but as a pathway to healing, empowerment, and belonging. Our initiatives are rooted in community, shaped by culture, and designed to meet youth where they are — emotionally, geographically, and spiritually.

🎨 Sponsor an Art Kit, Workshop, or Exhibition

Want to make a direct impact? Choose a sponsorship that speaks to your heart:

• 🎒 Sponsor an Art Kit: Equip a child with the tools to create and express
• 🖌️ Sponsor a Workshop: Fund a session that teaches, heals, and connects
• 🖼️ Sponsor an Exhibition: Help youth showcase their work and share their stories with the world

Donate: Fuel Creativity and Opportunity

Your donation directly supports youth access to arts education. Every contribution helps us provide:

• Art kits filled with paints, brushes, journals, and instruments
• Workshops led by trauma-informed facilitators and local artists
• Exhibitions that showcase youth creativity and amplify their voices

$25 sponsors a full art kit for one child. $100 funds a community workshop. $500 supports a youth-led exhibition.

No gift is too small. Every Dollars becomes a brushstroke in a young person’s jour