About Us
“If our children are unable to voice what they mean, no one will know how they feel. If they can't imagine a different world, they are stumbling through a darkness made all the more sinister by its lack of reference points. For a young person growing up in America's alienated neighborhoods, there can be no greater empowerment than to dare to speak from the heart-and then to discover that one is not alone in one's feelings.”
– Rita Dove, former U.S. Poet Laureate
For many of our city’s emerging citizens, the young people (who make up 18% of the population, according to the 2010 census) are not getting the creative outlet they need to develop those skills that are so vital to the 21st century: a sense of self-worth, teamwork, conflict resolution, creative thinking, and hope for their future. This is true in our public school system and even truer for our vulnerable young people who deal with abuse, violence, and poverty, are transient, identify as LGBTQ or live with physical or intellectual disabilities.
At ART 180, we create and provide art-related programs for young people living in challenging circumstances, encouraging personal and community change through self-expression. Our community lives and works in Richmond, Virginia.
We believe that our work with young people will turn lives and communities around 180 degrees.
Our Mission
ART 180 gives young people ages 8-18 living in challenging circumstances the chance to express themselves through art, and to share their stories with others. For 20 years, ART 180 has served Greater Richmond by offering outlets in creative expression for young people and communities that face poverty, the threat of violent crime, substance abuse and other challenges. Our programs complement the services provided by other agencies to address these challenges, and our work provides a vital service by addressing the lack of quality after-school programs for youth in our community. Over the years, we have served thousands of young people, celebrated their creative expressions through innumerable showcases and events, and immortalized their ideas and aspirations in murals and other forms of public art that brighten communities across Richmond.
Our Operating Model
ART 180 partners with other nonprofit organizations to serve youth, ages 8 to 18, living in challenging circumstances in Richmond, Virginia. We also operate an art center for teens, called Atlas, in the Arts & Cultural District.
In addition to the programs at Atlas, ART 180 staff and our Teen Leadership Council operate and manage a community gallery that showcases a rotating set of exhibitions targeting or featuring work by youth.
Click here to see our current community program offerings
Click here to see our current teen program offerings
Click here to learn about our juvenile justice program with Legal Aid Justice Center
Financials
2017 annual report, click here
2015 Audited Financial Statement, click here
2015 IRS Form-990, click here