Village+of+the+Arts

**The Village of Arts and Humanities**
**The Village of the Arts and Humanities is a program for youth 9 to 19 years of age and is located in North Philadelphia. Their mission is to support the community by providing opportunities for self expression in art and culture. This program inspires people to promote positive change throughout the community. The Village has a set of values such as honest, integrity, personal excellence, etc. that they expect from individuals and the organization itself. They have also received numerous awards and honors. **


 * On the organization’s website they have pictures and listings of various activities and projects that the program has completed. One of the art collaboration projects was the Oppenheim project. This was a week long workshop dedicated to the life and works of artist Dennis Oppenheim were teens reconstructed some of Oppenheim’s original artwork. They learned techniques and skills to constructing a structural object. Another art event was one sponsored by Red Bull where Philly’s top graffiti artist created large graphic art. In addition to the art projects, teens have created their own films (with the help of leaders). One film created was “The Beirut Boys” which captured a young man’s experience into manhood and the decisions he has to make to be a great individual. **


 * The Village’s website describes the different leadership roles it has in the organization. It focuses primarily on youth leadership and ways youth are shaped into great leaders. By doing this the organization has civic engagement, leadership and entrepreneur lectures and workshops, and also college readiness mentors. Another section on the website informs people of the Village’s community involvement. They have different programs and workshops on a weekly basis or over the summer. These consist of summer camps, educational services, parent - child relationship development, as well as community gardens and public art. **


 * This organization is very productive within its community and inspiring its youth (and parents) to do positive work. It seems like it is very well rounded with a variety of different programs and workshops for youth to engage in. One question is do they strictly work in North Philadelphia, or do they branch out to other neighborhoods in the city? This is a question to ask because students from other parts of Philadelphia would be aware of a strong organization such as this one. This could also bring in more funds to keep this organization going; so the youth would always have after school and summer activities. **


 * Another question to be answered is how far has this organization grown and where would it like to be in the future? By going to the website one can get an idea of how its expanding, but how far does the organization want to expand. Whether the organization wants more programs, more leaders and youth participants, or as simple as building space and location. This will help newcomers get an understanding of the future goals of the organization. **