Artists For Humanity

From the wall of the AFH Painting Studio to the walls of a Harvard University bike shed, Asia Gomes, Rose Christian, and Nia Nolan, three AFH teen artists, brought Harvard University’s vision to life by installing two large paintings within bike sheds on Harvard’s Allston campus. Vibrant birds, bees, flowers and more, decorate the newly renovated buildings and are ready for use! Teens, mentors, and members of Harvard’s staff design committee had the opportunity to meet, interact, and celebrate during the unveiling ceremony on August 13th. In addition to celebrating the completion of this project, the teens were honored to receive certificates of accomplishment from Harvard University! Thank you to Harvard University, Olivia Percy(Assistant Director of Sustainable Real Estate, Office for Sustainability), Levee Ann Mollineau (Director of Botanic Area Management, Harvard University Housing and Real Estate), Veronica Dea Santana (Associate Director of Graduate Commons Program, Harvard University Housing and Real Estate),  and Shelbea West (Assistant Director of Communications, Harvard University Housing and Real Estate) for hiring us! Want more? Keep updated on the latest by following us here and turning your notifications on! #artistsforhumanity #harvarduniversity #socialentrepreneurship #youthemployment #paintingunveiling

“Being in the AFH environment and being encouraged actively by successful artists like Mikey, Claudia, Pro Blak, SWAT, and GoFive helped set me on a path of valuing my creative voice and taking my work more seriously.” –LJ Baptiste, AFH Alum and owner of Xscapist Press. With support from a community of artists, LJ elevated his work by founding Xscapist Press—a small press that serves as the umbrella for all his self-published projects, including his ongoing graphic novel series, COMIXSCAPE, which has been running since 2012. Embracing the importance of community and accessibility, LJ has extended his mission to offer workshops that teach background illustration to kids, teens, and adults in various libraries and institutions such as the ICA, Google, Hasbro, PBS, and MassArt. It’s clear that making comics and comic-creation more accessible as a storytelling medium is key to LJ’s practice, not only through his workshops and as a member of the team that created and runs the Boston Comics in Color Festival, which will celebrate its 5th anniversary in 2025. When asked what he would like to tell current AFH teens, LJ emphasized how important it is to START on a project rather than waiting for a time in the future in which you are “more ready.” “You need to give yourself the chance to take on and explore that dream project of yours in some form now,” LJ expressed, “When you have something tangible and have something finished, you can then learn from it and understand yourself better as an artist and person, which does so much to level yourself up for next time.” Want to see more of LJ and his work? Follow him at @xscapistlj on instagram or stop by his website: https://comixscape.net/ #blackbusinessmonth #artistsforhumanity #bostonartist #bostonentrepreneur #socialentrepreneurship

Artists For Humanity’s mission wouldn’t be possible without our annual fundraiser—Artopia—and it’s just around the corner on October 5 at the AFH EpiCenter. But Artopia is not just any fundraiser. It is an innovative night of community, culture, and creativity alongside culinary delights, eclectic music, and craft cocktails—that will leave you feeling inspired! Get your tickets and learn more here! #afhartopia #artistsforhumanity #immersiveart #youthdevelopment #creativetransformation #socialentrepreneurship

We can't think of a better way to end our youth summer employment session than with an interview with NBC Channel 10 News! Thank you Mimi Wishner Segel, Shira Stoll, and the NBC Channel 10 team for showcasing our talented teens, mentors, and alumni. AFH employed over 460 youth and young adults this summer—generating nearly $1.4 million in summer wages for Boston teens and young adults working at AFH and, as a Coalition Lead for the City of Boston, 10 Boston nonprofits. Watch the clip to spot familiar faces such as AFH Alumni Derek Jesus, Fabiola Lara, Painting Studio Mentor Luis Urena and AFH Executive Director Anna Yu. Go team! ✨

Lights, Camera, Action! It’s time to turn the spotlight onto one of our AFH Artist Fellows and filmmakers: Audrey Calhoun. From making stop motion videos with her American Girl Dolls to creating short films, Audrey has been experimenting with photo and video since she was young! Luckily, AFH gets a front row seat to her art. Read about how Audrey brought her vision to life during the AFH Fellowship, with a limited budget and full directorial control.

Thanks to all those who came out to our end of summer exhibition—that’s a wrap on another successful summer at Artists For Humanity! 🫶 This summer AFH provided summer jobs in art and design for 400+ teens!!

BIG Summer Show was a hit! Thank you to all who came out to enjoy all the hard work our teens put into producing an amazing summer collection of art and design. Although the summer employment session is ending, we cannot wait to jump right back into working and creating in the fall! We have SO many exciting events planned for this fall, so make sure to follow us here and turn your notifications on to keep updated.   And we hope to see you soon! #BIGSummerShow #artistsforhumanity #youthemployment #socialentrepreneurship #summerexhibition

Guess what? Anna Yu, our Executive Director, and Jason Talbot, our Co-Founder and Managing Director of Program, will be on The Culture Show with Jared Bowen today at 2:20pm EST! Keep your ears open and tune into 89.7 FM or livestream GBH at wgbhnews.org to hear more about AFH’s vision,  the impact of youth employment—especially during the summer, and much more! #artistsforhumanity #creativetransformation #youthemployment #wgbh #bostonartists

“If it wasn’t for AFH I wouldn’t be where or who I am today. It’s where I found my passion for art, without the guidance from my mentors I wouldn’t have the skills or tools to be the creative I am. Especially Rob Gibbs aka ProBlak who’s like family now. He’s the one that pushed me the most and opened many doors for my career till this day.”—Luis Urena, AFH Alum and Current AFH Mentor Luis Urena can often be found in AFH’s Painting Studio cultivating good vibes and good tunes while mentoring AFH teen artists. Not only is Luis a talented painter and AFH Alum, but he is also a fashion designer and creative committed to crafting pieces that reflect his identity and community. “My focus is on making art that transcends specific audiences, aiming for universal connection regardless of background or location. I've honed my skills in fine arts, sneaker customization, and hands-on clothing design and production,” Luis elaborates, “The purpose behind it all is to inspire by being inspired.”   Luis is currently known as @luicustoms_ but is in the process of building up L.U.C (Life Under Creation), so keep an eye out for the expansion and rebranding of his business, where he is planning to offer a variety of pre-customized/handcrafted sneakers and clothing in addition to his his current sneaker customization services. For any current AFH teens looking for inspiration and guidance, Luis emphasizes that being your genuine self is the best advice, stating that “Your character is what fuels your work and your passions because that’s how you can create with love.” Want to see more of Luis? Follow him at @luicustoms_ ! Or check out his website here: https://lnkd.in/edJ48rHv Slide 1: Luis Urena at the Painting Studio table during Industry Night Slide 2: Custom shoes by L.U.C/Luis Slide 3: Headshot of Luis Urena Slide 4: Custom ‘Spoiled Rotten’ shoes by L.U.C/Luis in collaboration with 3P Productions (@pn.pple) Slide 5: Custom cleats by L.U.C/Luis inspired by the AFH Painting Studio for Ja’Whaun Bentley of the Patriots for “My Cause My Cleats” #blackbusinessmonth #artistsforhumanity #bostonartist #bostonentrepreneur #socialentrepreneurship

Thank you EF Education First for the fabulous collaboration. We are grateful for the opportunity to beautify your space!