Young Aspirations/Young Artists, Inc.
 YA/YA artists take time to pose with their artwork. |
In business for 10 years, YA/YA is structured after the Renaissance Apprentice/Guild system. Under the supervision of an artistic staff, the young people learn to paint images on furniture, screen print, batik, paint silk fabric, and design projects ranging from posters to murals to watches. Portfolios document their progress. They also receive one-on-one coaching and participate in peer critique sessions. In an echo of the modern Arts and Crafts Movement, YA/YA artists earn 50-80 percent of their art sales, depending on the program level they have attained. The students also work on project teams with visiting artists. Together they take on large-scale, multiple-phase commissions for clients such as the United Nations, Swatch, Ltd., MTV, and the New Orleans Opera Association.
All YA/YA students must maintain a "C" average to participate in the program and a "B" average to travel, requirements that provide strong incentives for students to stay in school and achieve scholastic success. YA/YA offers academic tracking, tutoring, and other educational and career assistance, too. And, increasingly, it encourages students to participate in such community initiatives as chair workshops for junior high school students, and art instruction to enhance the programs of the New Orleans Recreation Department.
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Aspirations/Young Artists, Inc. 628 Baronne Street New Orleans, LA 70113 Phone: 504-529-3306 Fax: 504-524-7432 E-Mail: yaya_art@earthlink.net Focus: Visual Arts Number Participating: 40 Ages: 14-16 Annual Budget: $572,340 "It pleases me that YA/YA not only has found a way to nurture talent, but also to help young people create a self-sustaining organization that can act as a springboard to viable careers in the tough, competitive world of arts and crafts." Marc H. Morial Mayor New Orleans |