If you want to establish some direction in your child's life, Starting Artists is the place to begin. Marisa and Lacey are the most talented, respectful, and loving people you could ever want to have as mentors for your children. My son is 12 and he has grown so much in all aspects since he has been attending Starting Artist. The classes they offer are so detailed and full of creativity that my child isn't done with one day before he is itching to return for more. The places they visit and the people they meet are also extremely interesting and what a great way to help your child enjoy the wonderful things this great city has to offer. Your kids have only one chance to be kids. Why not surround them with the best resources, tools, and people so that they could have a life time of memmories as well as develop interests and talents you may not even know they have. I know I don't regret sending my son to Starting Artists and I'm sure you won't either.
Starting Artists is unique in providing teens with with low-cost (or free for those unable to pay) programs that focus on self expression, art, techniques in various media, and careers in art. As someone with an undergraduate degree in fine arts, but no insight into using my education towards a career in the arts, all I could think of was that I wished such an opportunity had been available to me. The students' work is impressive. I especially like being able to shop on line for professional-quality photographs and hand-made crafts at such reasonable prices. I met Marisa Catalina Casey before she opened Starting Artists, and I was impressed with her passion, her conviction, and her optomism for starting such a venture when so many nonprofit organizations are struggling. In addition to showing kids how to make a career in art, she shows them an example in following her dream.
Starting Artists is an incredible organization that offers a free after-school program in Brooklyn New York. Talking with students I found that the organization has really become an important piece of their life.
Mari brings so much passion and dedication to the organization. I have been very impressed with the work of the students.
Starting Artists is one of the most creative, enthusiastic, and inspiring communities I've ever joined. Their afterschool program, their birthday parties, vacation intensives, and specialized workshops are stimulating, professional, and immensely enjoyable. Director Marisa Catalina Casey is one of the warmest people I have met to date, and her vision and heart is seen in every project at Starting Artists. The program's influence on Brooklyn's youth has had a much-needed and positive impact in the community since its inception.
I taught a workshop at Starting Artists and it was extremely organized, well attended, and overall very rewarding. The students there seem to be very involved and enjoy all of the projects placed in front of them. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and as a teacher just for that hour, I was so excited to be making art with them and sharing the process together
Great products, great energy, and you get to help students learn by buying fun, low-cost art that you actually want? It's a win-win as far as I'm concerned. I also love the way students are encouraged to learn how to market their art, and apparantly do so on their own (reasonable) terms.
Starting Artists is the kind of place I wish I had when I was growing up! Coming in on-and-off over the past year, I've had the opportunity to see the evolution of the program as well as the consistency in the core values put forth by its founders. Home to a tight-knit creative community, the dialogue and thinking amongst students and volunteers is mature, honest and inspiring. This supplement to the students' daily curriculum seems to be why they keep coming back.
I am running Open Source Gallery in South Slope and got interested in Starting Artists because I like to involve more Teenagers in our program. Marisa was so helpful and all my questions and requests were so welcome. I am now thanks to starting artists proud to have a very nice and very helpful intern and hopefully I can give this particular "starting artist" a jump start or at least an insight into the art world. I went to visit and love their program. I wish I was 12 again! Monika
The most often comment I hear about Starting Artists from other adults is, "I wish I had a place like this when I was younger." That's why I founded this community-based organization for teens so that 12-19 year old students have the opportunity to be creative and entrepreneurial in a safe and open space. I learn something new each day as I mentor students and teach them the tools of self-sufficiency through the arts. My best days are those when I can tell that a student has made a positive step in his or her life because of SA's programs. Whether it is expressing him or herself through the visual and media arts or being accepted to the school of his or her choice or learning a new skill, the sense of accomplishment and pride each student feels makes all of the hard work worthwhile. The staff, students, parents, volunteers, partners, and supporters have helped to create a tight-knit, creative, and inspiring community and I feel fortunate to be a part of.
Before I went to starting artists, I believed that I was not an artistic person. I wrote and I read and I did my schoolwork, but i didn't draw or paint, or create visual art. Starting Artists brought me out of the mental box that i had created for myself. The materials were there, and the possibilities were endless, so i began to create things. Marisa helped me discover that i could be a visual and literal person at the same time. I learned how to use photoshop and other Adobe programs. I made amazing friends and great connections. Starting artists is like a second home for me--I always feel welcome and safe. Going to starting artists and meeting Marisa and Lacey has truly changed my outlook on things. And although I do not intend on pursuing a career in visual arts, I now know more about myself as an artist than I ever could have dreamed of knowing. Starting Artists provides a place for so many teenagers in my area to be themselves, and to discover themselves in knew ways. I truly love Starting Artists with all my heart, and i don't know who i would be today without it.