For the second phase of We the Many, Arts Midwest partnered with For the Love of the Arts.
Located in Griffith, Indiana, For the Love of the Arts, Inc. is dedicated to reducing youth violence and crime by providing fine arts mentorship and life skills courses focusing on social skills and mental wellness.
Painter Yemina Concepcion and photographer Daveed Holmes have been hard at work this last year at For the Love of the Arts, building positivity for young people by encouraging their creativity.
For the Love of the Arts uses creativity to help break the cycle of violence. Through their mental wellness education, social skills practice, and artistic courses, this unique organization provides a safe space for young people to grow and thrive.
“We served our community through 272 We the Many activities and events, reaching 1,157 community members. Residency activities, classes, and programs were led by 10 local artists representing the communities we serve. We focus on serving justice-involved youth, low-income families, youth with special needs, adults with special needs, adults in recovery, and children of adults in recovery, and our diverse communities of color.
Through the We the Many grant program, we opened the Love of Arts Creativity Center in February of 2023, offering artist-led classes such as videography, acrylic painting, music, dance, virtual reality art, cartoon drawing, crafts, creative writing, and theatre. Throughout 2023, we offered other programs as well, such as Little Creatives Program (parent/child art and early learning activities), arts classes at Lake Co. Juvenile Center serving justice-involved youth, several community outreach events, artistic showcase events, and the opening of SHINE Recovery Cafe and SHINE Kids (arts and learning activities for children of parents in recovery).
We the Many has allowed our organization to go to the next level of growth and development. We were able to acquire a space to house our arts activities in the heart of our community where there is a critical need for the types of programs we offer. Furthermore, we have expanded our services to support youth and adults with special needs through our arts classes and local partnerships. These partnerships include The Columbus Organization, which serves youth with autism, and Paladin, which serves adults with special needs.
Also, with an increased budget size, we applied for funding through the Indiana Arts Commission and were awarded operational support for the 2023-2024 grant cycle. Our artists in residency were given a unique opportunity to grow and expand in their work and were supported through the articles and press releases from Arts Midwest. We have expanded our work even further with SHINE Recovery Cafe through a partnership with Recovery Cafe Network, and as part of our growth through We the Many. During cafe hours, children of members or guests can participate in the SHINE Kids program, a safe place where recovery-affected youth can learn, grow, and thrive with support.
Overall, this partnership has greatly impacted our community and allowed our organization to expand in multiple ways.”
Project Team
Sade’ Carrasquillo, Executive Director
Primary Artists-in-Residence: Daveed Holmes, Ariel Michol, Yemina Concepción, Fernando Lopez, Tyrel Davis
A documentary exploring the founding and mission of the For the Love of the Arts program and the impact it is having within the community.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
For the Love of the Arts founders Sade and Luis Carrasquillo with son along with instructors Raquel Wilson and Yemina Conception at For the Love of the Arts’ ribbon cutting, made possible through We the Many.
Photo Credit: Sade Carrasquillo
For the Love of the Arts teaching artist Daveed Holmes puts the highlight on one of his students.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
Teaching artist Yemina Concepcion poses with a display of her work hung on the walls at For the Love of the Arts.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
For the Love of the Arts students enjoying the grand opening of the Creativity Center.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
A young student embracing their inner artistry at a Little Creatives session at For the Love of the Arts.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
For the Love of the Arts founders Luis and Sade’ Carrasquillo embracing a successful launch of the Creativity Center where they show students and their families how art can really bring change to the community, one student at a time.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
Luis Carrasquillo and his students striking a pose in his VR graffiti class at For the Love of the Arts.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
Shine Recovery Café founder Sade’ Carrasquillo giving a pedicure to a member during a spa day activity.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
Participants are welcomed into Shine Cafe, which promotes art, creativity, and recovery.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
SHINE Team the day before opening August 14th, 2023.
Photo Credit: Daveed Holmes
Shine Recovery Café Kitchen Lead Milland Goldman is all smiles serving a meal to a member.
Read More in the We the Many Program Report
This report dives into the program’s process, impact, and lessons learned during We the Many’s second phase. It sheds light on the successes, challenges, and resiliency of creative community work.
