Houston ARTreach

The Harris County court places delinquent youth who do not require secure confinement at the Burnett-Bayland Home (BBH) located at 6500 Chimney Rock.  Currently up to 60 girls are living in the cottages on the 40-acre campus. Family visitation is encouraged and parents participate in regular counseling sessions. Residents attend on-campus classes taught by the Juvenile Justice Charter School with ARTreach supporting an after school enrichment program.

Drug and alcohol counseling, therapy and peer mediation play a significant role in the rehabilitation of the residents. The Juvenile Ready for Work program assists probationers ages 14-17 by matching them with mentors. The Rotary Club of Houston continued its generous support and conducted weekly tutoring. Residents also participated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Outreach program and the Adopt Herman Park activities. Privately-funded activities such as the ones provided by ARTreach bring a valuable learning dimension to the residents.

Art with a Purpose

Several ARTreach Programs are planned for the year, with the first series beginning Friday, September 5, 2:00-3:30PM with ARTreach artist Stacy Baer teaching Art with a Purpose - Ceramics 101- The students will enjoy working with Stacy, as a professional ceramic artist and owner of Baerfeat Creations  www.baerfeatcreations.com. She will be sharing her business skills and very creative ideas to teach the girls how to make sellable, functioning works of art.  Her goal is to inspire the students to focus on their talents and creativity to become successful, productive and happy members of society.

Cultural Arts and Heritage

Also coming to BBH courtesy of ARTreach is Nigerian artist Landre Buraimoh teaching African Bead Painting. Landre’s program explores the Yoruba people and the unique culture behind this lost art form. Lanre is contemporary artist originally from Nigeria but presently based in Houston, Texas. As the son of world acclaimed bead painter - Chief Jimoh Buraimoh and batik and adire textile pioneer, Lanre Buraimoh is one of the most versatile artists trained in this modernized version of the West Africa art form. His beadwork, oil on canvas and batik have been featured in some of the top galleries in the world, most notably the Atlanta Via-Mundi Art Gallery, Cary- McPheeters Gallery, Atlanta and other locations. Lanre Buraimoh is a pronounced member of (C.O.P.A.) Confederation of Professional Artists and (O.O.A.A) Osogbo Oroki Artists Alliance.

ARTreach is proud to be able to bring these two very talented artists to BBH  The ARTreach Program is made possible thanks to a grant from Houston Endowment and donations by numerous businesses who recognize the impact the arts have on society and are supporting ARTreach Programs serving children at risk. This program is seeking additional donations to sustain this program. Please consider sponsoring ARTreach Programs by sending a check today to ARTreach 12012 Wickchester Suite 300, Extreme Technologies, Inc., Houston,  Texas 77079. Visit www.artreachonline.org to learn more.  

Serving children at risk in HISD

Houston TX, August 23, 2008 - ARTreach will be piloting a new workshop series called Tools 4 Teens this fall semester as part of the Making It Better Program serving children at risk in the Houston Independent School District and attending Paul Revere Middle School starting Oct. 24 - Dec. 12 1:30-2:30 PM.

In this ARTreach program each student will create their own scrapbook with one page layout being completed per week.  Each lesson incorporates graphic design, photography and creative writing combined with future planning and goal setting. Each art lesson has a social theme that supports a topic of the week. Topics include drug abuse, cyber bullying, abstinence issues, healthy relationships and peer pressure.

At the conclusion of the workshop series, each student will have completed a scrap book and be presented with a copy of Tools 4 Teens book that features the student’s photograph on the cover. Inside, they will find nine more photographs of images captured during the course of the program. The book includes dedication pages and letters of encouragement from the artists and mentors involved.

This is a new ARTreach program for at risk children designed by Tools 4 Teen author, Kelly Litvak. She is teaching the course along with professional photographer Lori Stanton.

There are several contributing partners involved in supporting this unique ARTreach pilot, including Making It Better, and Tools 4 Teens donations made by Kelly Litvak and Lori Stanton. Our corporate sponsor of ARTreach programs serving children at risk is Extreme Technologies Inc. ARTreach has budgeted $1978.00 to cover fees associated with instructors, photography equipment, art and scrap booking supplies and to include a hard bound copy of the Tools 4 Teens Book for 20 students. Donations of art and scrap booking supplies are appreciated.  

Over $1100 has been pledged to date. ARTreach is seeking program sponsorships totaling $800 to support this innovative workshop series serving at risk children in Houston ISD. Please consider being a corporate sponsor today!    

Please send checks or pledges today to

ARTreach- Non-profit Art and Educational Outreach

12012 Wickchester Suite 300

Extreme Technologies Inc.

Houston TX 77079

Visit www.artreachonline.org to learn more about how the arts can have an impact on children at risk.

Houston TX, (July 7, 2008)- ARTreach is partnering with Catholic Charities to bring a series of special art classes to children at risk in the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program located in the Carlingford apartment complex at 6500 Gessner. 

Refugee children often arrive in the United States unable to speak English, and unfamiliar with the American culture. They suffer from the stress associated with family instability and face enormous challenges throughout their acculturation process. Catholic Charities Refugees Resettlement Program gives the extra attention and practice the children require to catch up on homework, speaking, reading, and writing skills on a daily basis.

ARTreach is utilizing the arts to enrich the educational aspects of this unique Catholic Charities program and aid in the acculturation process.  “Art is providing a key component in bridging the diverse communication gaps between the refugee children.” says Rosie Worthington, program director for Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program, “These children are between the ages of 6-14 years old and are from Turkey, Russia, Myanmar, and Somalia, and art is their most common language.”

ARTreach initiated this first pilot in January. The objectives associated with the art program were aimed at aiding in relationship building and social skills development, to stimulate the creative thinking process, and to support the children in adapting quickly and more completely to their new American home environment. The pilot was made possible thanks to a grant to ARTreach from the Houston Endowment and included silk screen printing and mask making workshops taught by professional artists from Young Audiences of Houston paid for by the YAH Assistance Fund 
    
A post evaluation of the initial pilot collected examples of the artwork created, and testimony from the children, the social workers and the art teachers involved. This helped ARTreach to design and fund a second session initiated this summer to support a weekly time slot dedicated to teaching art and art history.

For the summer, ARTreach placed Nikki Golyer in the Refugee Program thanks to the Shell Non-Profit Internship Program Grant. She was given the task of designing a series of projects specifically for the refugee children. “I decided to research the art history of the countries the children came from and conduct a workshop that would help the children create an example of artwork that came from each country” says Golyer, “They would be doing art and also learning about the cultures of the other children in their class. I researched six countries that the children in the program originally lived.”
    
Photos are of children in the Refugee Resettlement program with artwork inspired by the French artist and expressionist Henri Matisse

Nikki is teaching art on Tuesdays from 4:00-6:00 this summer at the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program. On July 8 and 15th the children will meet artist Judy Malone Stein from Young Audiences of Houston with new lessons in the visual arts, followed by Danny Russo, also of Young Audiences of Houston returning to teach silk screen design and printmaking on July 22, 29 and August 3rd.

The summer art program serving children at risk through the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program is funded by ARTreach and made possible thanks to Extreme Technologies, Inc. and a Shell Intern Program Grant made to ARTreach. Additional support for the program is provided by Young Audiences of Houston and the YAH Assistance Fund to bring professional artists Judy Malone Stein and Danny Russo. An exhibition of the artwork created in the program will be displayed at the offices of Extreme Technologies, Inc., at the end of the summer. Directions to the offices are available online at www.extreme-technologies.com.

ARTreach is seeking $2,160- $4,320 in additional sponsorships to continue the program in the fall. Contact Terri Bieber at art.reach@earthlink.net for more information about sponsoring this special program. To learn more about the impact the arts have on children at risk, visit www.artreachonline.org.

Thank you to the following organizations and sponsors that made this ARTreach Program serving children at risk possible - Catholic Charities providing help, creating hope, The Houston Endowment, Extreme Technologies, Inc., Employers One Source, Shell Oil Company, and Young Audiences of Houston- imagine, create, educate.

Memorial/Spring Branch News  
Jan. 10, 2008, 12:56PM
Partnership formed with Young Audiences of Houston to reach youths in after-school drug abuse, refugee programs
By ANNETTE BAIRD
Chronicle Correspondent

ARTreach program strives to keep kids on right path through arts 

Children in danger of indulging in risky behaviors and those who have fled their native counties and settled in the Greater Houston area will learn to express themselves through art, dance, music and song thanks to a collaboration of two local agencies.
Artreach, 12120 Wickchester Lane, Suite 300, and Young Audiences of Houston, 1800 St. James Place, Suite 303, have partnered to bring the arts to children attending an after-school Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP) in Memorial and a Catholic Charities after-school program for young refugees in southwest Houston.
Once a week through May, artists with varied backgrounds in mask-making and water colors to drumming and Lego building will share their talents with children in both programs.
“Our mission is to address self-esteem and utilize the arts as a tool to communicate and help people express themselves in appropriate and nonviolent ways,” said Katy ARTreach founder Terri Bieber.
It is the second semester that PDAP, based at the West Houston Community Center, 725 Bateswood, will offer the arts program to the children it serves.
PDAP executive director Jean McMillan said the weekly art sessions, to begin on Tuesday, will give 10 children ages 8-12 who attend the recreational prevention program at 725 Bateswood a vehicle to channel their energy and work together in a positive way.
“We are always looking for different ways to reach kids,” McMillan said.
“What Terry is doing is bringing different resources to be able to do that. (The art sessions) keep the kids coming back.”
The Catholic Charities after-school program, held in an apartment complex at 6500 Gessner, will pilot the art program starting Friday. Various artists are scheduled to come each Friday to teach up to 27 children ages 6-14 — who come from Somalia, Burma and other areas of the world — how to make masks, mosaics and mobiles, paint self-portraits and learn about rhythm and drums.
Bieber also wants to involve them in decorating the nondescript room where the program is held.
“We want the kids to come into a very inspired environment,” Bieber said.
Bieber, an art teacher and artist, established Katy ARTreach five years ago from her Katy home to serve neglected populations. She established classes and programs in senior living communities, juvenile detention facilities, DePelchin Children’s Center and drug abuse programs in Fort Bend and Harris counties.
Bieber said the partnership between ARTreach and Young Audiences, a west Houston nonprofit dedicated to inspiring children through the arts, enables them to serve dozens more agencies that help children and young adults and enrich existing programs directed towards children.

ARTreach in partnership with Making It Better is bringing art and education to children at risk in the Houston area.
Making it Better (MIB) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) established in the fall of 2006 to improve the quality of life for low income, at-risk children by providing them with educational assistance, positive activities, and role models. An alarming number of children are being raised by single parents, grandparents or in foster homes.  Due to the challenges facing these families; i.e., lack of funds, working multiple jobs, etc., many of these children are not receiving the support they need in order to be successful in school or in life.  The mission of Making It Better is to help bridge the gap in these families to enable children to be all that they can be with tutoring, mentoring and social interaction supervised and guided by professionals.
ARTreach is a non-profit 501(c)(3) established in 2003 to bring the arts to neglected populations including children at risk. Both organizations are addressing the academic, social and emotional needs of students who might otherwise slip through the cracks. The ARTreach/Making it Better partnership will help ensure that all children receive a high quality education that includes art - so that no child is left behind. The partnership will complement the national efforts of No Child Left Behind right here in Houston by providing our children with educational assistance both during and after school, as well as positive activities and role models through after school activities.
ARTreach will be linking additional art partners to the project, including Young Audiences of Houston and URGEWORKS Studios, and local teaching artists. Through the continued efforts of HISD and the additional assistance and intervention of community non profits like Making it Better and ARTreach these children will not be left behind. For more information about these organizations or to make a donation to support the project visit the following websites. www.mibtx.org and www.art.reachonline.org

Cindy Eenink of Perry Homes

Houston Endowment, Inc.

Aldine Independent School District
Angelica M.  Ovivos
Bruce Hemker
Communities in the Schools Houston, Inc
Constables Athletic Rec & Events
Extreme Technologies, Inc
FUUSA
Holocaust Museum Houston
Houston Public Library Foundation, Inc
Joe and Lydia Martinez
Joe P. Martinez
Kathy Chebret Fountain
Kingdom Come Community
Materials Consulting Services
Maurice Schindler
Mike and Kim Ginn
Nicole Ensign
Ria M. Guzon
Robert Tippelt
Robin Cadena
Sandy Faucett
Spring Branch ISD
ST. Peter’s United Methodist Church
Urban Jungle Self Defense
Villa Arcos
Westport Builders

Young Audiences of Houston

ARTreach and the Institute of International Education hosted a delegation from Iraq, coming to Houston through the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (http://exchanges.state.gov/education/ivp/) on, November 6th.  

Traveling under the program title “Performing Arts,” the delegation was composed of nine individuals, including several officials from the Ministry of Culture.  During their U.S. tour, these visitors were examining the role of performing arts in the community, including education and wider-audience promotion.  While in Houston, the delegation expressed an interest in learning more about the impact of the arts in the Juvenile Justice system and the work begin done through ARTreach, a small non profit from Katy, Texas focused on art education and outreach to neglected populations.

ARTreach introduced the delegation to the international dance companies URGEWORKS and Havikoro through a program designed for the youth at the Fort Bend County Juvenile Detention Center. This ARTreach program utilizes the talents of the dancers and the hip hop culture to motivate the youth to make better choices, avoid negative influences, seek positive people and remain true to their heart.   The testimony of the dancers adds impact to the presentation.   ARTreach is a 501 c3 non profit organization that fundraises to bring the arts to troubled youth and children at risk in Katy, Houston and Fort Bend County. The organization utilizes the arts in the juvenile justice system as a way teach troubled youth constructive, productive and creative ways to express themselves through dance, music, graphic design, spoken word, RAP and creative writing.  

The delegation from Iraq was impressed by the presentation, and ARTreach and the Fort Bend County juvenile probation department’s staff enjoyed an exchange of ideas concerning the arts and the positive impact the arts can have on society.  Several members of this delegation were also involved in a cultural program recently arranged by the organization American Voices that brought U.S. artists to perform in a number of concerts in Bagdad last February and in a summer Unity Academy in Erbil, N. Iraq.

More information about the Iraq project is available on line at http://www.americanvoices.org
ABC Nightly News Broadcast at:  http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3418287
Carole McCann on Houston’s Channel 2,

Hip Hop makes an impact on at risk youth

ARTreach is seeking local sponsors to bring the visual performing arts group URGEWORKS and their unique cultural arts presentations and after school workshops to children at risk in 20 schools in need this year.

Through energetic performing arts assemblies followed by focused workshops for identified youth at risk, the URGEWORKS dancers teaches children how to express themselves in a constructive manner using the postive elements of hip hop.  The URGEWORKS dancers present a lesson through hip hop dance that is relevant to youth today, they share their own testimony and experiences, and deliver a powerful message of hope that teaches students about the importance of staying away from drugs, staying in school and focusing their energy on their talents and dreams for a positive future.

Please consider making a donation to support ARTreach and URGEWORKS programs for children at risk. Visit the website www.urgeworks.com to see video of the group.

ARTreach is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the arts to children at risk and other neglected populations Harris and Fort Bend County. Thanks to art partnerships with groups like URGEWORKS, and donations from corporations and individuals, ARTreach is reaching thousands of children annually who would not otherwise be given an opportunity to experience the visual and performing arts.

ARTreach staff is comprised of dedicated volunteers, artists in the community and supportive friends who want to make a difference in the lives of children and appreciate the impact the arts can have on a child at risk. To learn more about ARTreach programs in your neighborhood and how you can become involved. Contact Terri Bieber at 281-392-5341.

This is an ARTreach and Young Audiences of Houston-collaboration to bring the arts to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Refugee Resettlement After-School Program.

The majority of refuges children arrive in the United States unable to speak English; through school and immersion the children learn the language of their new home. The children are at a great disadvantage. They have a short time to learn what their peers have been practicing since birth. The Refugees Resettlement After-School Program gives the extra attention and practice they require to catch up on homework, reading, and writing skills. This Young Audiences of Houston-ARTreach Program will introduce the children to a variety of creative thinking art based activities that will enrich the educational aspects of this unique Catholic Charities program. This program is in need of volunteers interested in assisting our artists on Fridays 5:00-6:00 p.m. Contact art.reach@earthlink.net to volunteer (Bellaire/Fondron area)

Houston ARTreach partnered with URGEWORKS STUDIOS in June and July to provide HAPP sponsored alternative recreational activities as part of the Houston I.S.D. Westside High School Summer Day Camp for Children at Risk. The project was funded through FUUSA. The Day Camp program was organized by Jacque Daughtry of the support service agency “MAKING IT BETTER” established to serve children at risk in the Houston ISD.
ARTreach also participated in the 2007 H.A.P.P. Youth Summer Program sponsored by Kingdom Come Community Development Corporation and Families Under Urban and Social Attack (FUUSA) funded by the Hurricane Assistance Prevention Project Grant.

The 2007 H.A.P.P. Youth Summer Program served children ages 6-18 years old from New Orleans or other areas affected by hurricane Katrina and Rita and currently living in the Genoa Way Trailer Homes in the 3rd ward