Arts Street
City and County of Denver

The need for a culturally competent workforce for the 21st century is the compelling idea behind Arts Street. This year-round arts-based youth employment program demonstrates to young adults the critical relationship between education and work. Using hands-on experiences, core academics, studio art processes, up-to-date technology, and all of the arts disciplines, inner-city Denver youth ages 14-21 are given a chance to discover how their creativity can lead to a career. As one participant describes the program, "I get to do what I love and get paid for it."

Arts Street begins with art classes taught by professional artists. The program then progresses to Entrepreneurial Art Business training, where youth acquire basic business and industry skills, such as marketing, branding, and inventory and financial management. In the next phase, they work in Client Project Teams to apply their skills to produce a commissioned work. Participants then move on to the Business Internship stage, where they gain experience in an actual workplace setting.

Since its inception in 1999, 62 projects have been completed, including performances of jazz, dance, and theater and production of magazines, graphic designs, calendars, websites, film and video, outdoor murals, sculptures, signage, paintings, theatrical scenery, and photography.

Youth development is also at the core of the program. Professional artists and teaching assistants serve as positive, caring role models and weave life-skills training into every component. Workshops on résumé writing, marketing, financial planning, and presentation techniques are part of the personal development training.

Serving more than 200 young people annually, Arts Street is a community-wide effort, including 26 local arts organizations that provide expertise, facilities, equipment, and resources. In the words of John W. Hickenlooper, Mayor of the City and County of Denver, "Arts Street is an agent of change that is cultivating human capital and strengthening the cultural and economic fabric of our society. Arts Street is helping to make Denver a place where its native born want to remain and a destination for a diverse cross-section of our national and global citizenry."