Venice Arts

Programs: Art mentoring & education: in 2017, we served 460, ethnically diverse, low-income youth. Fifty fourpercent (54%) lived in venice, mar vista, and other neighborhoods with high pockets of poverty on los angeles' west side; 46% came from throughout los angeles, most residing in south l. A. , inglewood, and mid-city. Over 50% of participants lived in poverty, with the balance evenly divided between low-and very-low income. All youth participated free-of-charge across all programs and services. Venice arts' unique model is highly experiential and child-centered program with an emphasis on long-term engagement and close mentoring that develops youths' capacities across a range of dimensions. Both academic year and summer classes have no more than 12 students per class, with an artist- mentor ratio of 1:1 to 1:3. Youth participated in the following programs and services: 1. 460 new and continuing youth enrolled in a 24-week academic year cycle and a daily, summer media arts camp. Both offer a sequenced (beginning to advanced) curriculum in photography, filmmaking, animation, and multimedia. The academic year culminates in an exhibition and film screening open to the public. 2. 75 youth enrolled in our advanced studies track, which offers college- caliber classes, support for independent projects, and portfolio and reel development. Six advanced studies' students received paid internships at venice arts, including a part-time summer internship; six were placed in externships at creative/ entertainment companies; and six worked on media projects for venice arts' clients; each opportunity contributed to young people building their creative, technical, and workplace skills. 100% of graduates of our advanced studies program went on to college-most the first in their families. 3. Forty-two awards were won by youth in national, statewide, and local competitions; one student was named a finalist in the prestigious national youngarts competition. Three received full scholarships to a two-week, summer art residency program at idyllwild arts; one received a full scholarship to a two-week summer program at otis college of art and design; three were selected for a special youth nature program, with scholarships to raft on the colorado river. 4. "over 100 young people enrolled in our creative pathways program. Activities included: college days, providing support with the application, financial aid, and scholarship process; essay, rsum, and portfolio development workshops; 1:1 college counseling; creative careers day and multiple, program-specific creative career panels; and field trips to creative companies. In addition to reaching youth through our on-site art mentoring & education program, venice arts' sustained our partnerships with olympic continuation high school and del rey continuation high school, both schools of "last resort" in santa monica.

participatory documentary programs: venice arts completed a consultation program with a national photography organization building an exhibition of professional and youth work that explores the youth-family intersection. In 2017, venice arts facilitated a two-retreat for this organization, developed a series of photography lesson plans and teaching activities for its teaching artists, and created two teaching videos.

gallery & public programs: venice arts' move to a new facility in early 2017 resulted in limiting the size of our annual roster of exhibitions, film screenings, and artists' talks. In 2017, we had eight exhibitions, film screenings, and/or artist talks, reaching an on-site audience of approximately 1,000 people, with exhibitions also viewed by all participants in our programs.