Art Start

NEW YORK, New York

Verified PWI Partner

Our Mission

Art Start nurtures the voices, hearts, and minds of children and youth through consistent creative workshops inside transitional housing residences for youth and families experiencing homelessness, as well as detention facilities and alternative sentencing programs for court-involved youth. We work in close partnership with community-based organizations and programs that serve youth from historically marginalized communities in New York City, and since 2018, throughout the greater Milwaukee area.

Who We Are

Founded in New York City in 1991 by a small group of artists who decided to create art with children experiencing homelessness, Art Start has grown to become a nationally recognized model for using the creative arts to foster self-expression, resilience, and personal development. Over the past 28 years and with the help of nearly 12,000 volunteers and teaching artists, Art Start has brought the creative process to more than 25,000 under-served youth. Our record of outstanding achievement has earned us numerous awards, including the President’s Service Award (the nation’s highest-ranking award for community service), the Urban Star Award, several Urban Hero Awards, a PASEsetter Award, a Fulfilling the Dream Award, and several special recognitions from the City and State of New York.