Teens Building Community: An Interview with Artists for Humanity
Feature Editors:
Stephanie Morris
Anita Marshall
Sara Horatius
Massachusetts
Have you ever wished that you could make a career out of your creativity? Well, a nonprofit organization in Boston, Massachusetts, Artists for Humanity, offers teens an opportunity to discover that for themselves.
This program brings teens with a love for the arts together to create the perfect blend of work, freedom of expression, and friendship. With its five different studios—painting, silkscreen, graphics, woodworking and
photography—there is definitely something for everyone.
Yessenia Valentin and Cassandra Lattimore
Teen Voices interviewed three members of Artists for Humanity—Yessenia Valentin, 17, Julia Asherman, 18, and Cassandra Lattimore, 19—to learn more about the program. They shared their experiences of coming together as young artists,
learning the responsibilities of a paying job, discovering aspects of the art business and more.
Teen Voices: Why did you choose the Artists for Humanity (AFH) program?
Cassandra Lattimore:
I already had the love for art; I grew up drawing. My mother used to buy me little artsy kits. In my school, they give out these summer job papers, and I read them,
and they said you can come in, paint, do art, and get paid for it. It worked well because in the summer time it is from 12 to 5.
Yesenia Valentin:
I chose to work here because my friend Cedric worked here, and then my brother likes to draw, and I referred him here. Then everybody here was like,
"Well, why don't you work here?" I'm like, "Well, I don't know how to draw, you know?" And they're like, "Well, you don't need to know how to draw."
And then I saw what some of the kids used to do on the computers, designing T-shirt designs, logos, and holiday cards.
Julia Asherman:
I was just looking for a job. And it's really difficult when you're a teenager to find a job at all, especially one that you like and is flexible,
and that's cool and fulfilling. So, as soon as I heard about this opportunity, I was just like, "Okay, I'll apply."
TV: How much time do you spend at the program?
Julia:
During the school year, we spend nine hours a week in the studio. In the summer part of the program, we do 25-hour weeks.
Cassandra:
But a lot of times, we have extra parties that we need to do that we get commissions for. Like I have a piece that I am working on right now
for an Art and Bloom Show.
TV: What part of AFH do you work at?
Yesenia:
Graphic design and silkscreen.
Cassandra:
I'm in the painting studio.
Julia:
I'm in photography.
Untitled Photo by Julia Asherman
TV: How long has each of you been working here?
Julia:
About two years.
Cassandra:
About four, close to five years.
Yesenia:I've been working here for about two and a half years.
TV: Why did you choose the program that you're in, like painting or photography?
Cassandra:
Well, I didn't start off in painting. Actually, when I first came to AFH, I had no idea how to paint. Basically, all I knew was how to draw.
When I first came here, I had a portfolio of drawings and such, and Rob, my mentor, was the one who told me he could see my drawings coming to the next level,
as in paintings. I found my love—my home—in the painting studio when I got the opportunity to work on murals and different things.
Julia:
I came from a high school that was fortunate enough to have a photography program, so I had experience. When I applied here, I applied directly for photography,
and I got in. But I think, in general, you don't just go to your studio of choice. You usually go through painting, or some kind of foundation. So I'm a special case.
Yesenia:
I really wanted to do photography; but then, I guess seeing everybody working on the computers and what they were doing really interested me. I didn't want to do painting because
I don't know how to draw. I don't even know how to do stick figures. (Laughs.)
TV: Do you have to be skilled to work here or can you be a beginner? How do your skills build up when you come to this program?
Yesenia:
To tell you the truth, when I started off working here, I had no experience in anything: painting, drawing, graphics, working on computers.
I was a computer illiterate person. I'm dead serious. You may not think that you have skills, but other people do. People are actually willing
to buy what you create. Like people say, you're your own worst critic. But then when you don't think you have skills and you draw two stick figures,
I guarantee you someone's going to like that.
Cassandra:
I just had it in me to draw. I didn't really know how to paint and, unfortunately, my school didn't offer me a lot of opportunities with art.
You have to observe things that you wouldn't in real life—observe the way a person's nose goes, or observe the way a person's mouth sits. That's the best way I learned,
by watching and by listening and nobody saying, "Oh, Cassandra, you have to draw a line this way." I can't say that the mentors didn't help me. A lot of times they gave me that push,
like parents do, like, "Oh, yeah, you can do it."
Julia:
I'm an exception because I was fortunate to have art classes at my school that were really great, but I think most people here come without any experience at all in the arts.
We're just looking for people who are dedicated, who want to learn something new and want to be a part of what's going on here. Most people here become great artists without ever
knowing they had these abilities in them.
Continued on Page 2
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Are you a teen artist or photographer? Want to see your artwork in a national magazine or website? Contact Teen Voices and
we'll send you an artist packet. Send us your contact information
here.
The mission for Artists For Humanity is to bridge economic, racial and social divisions by providing at-risk youth with
the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.
Check out the very cool Artists for Humanity website and see how they achieve their mission.
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