Empowering Youth
Encouraging creative empowerment through artistic expression for struggling youth age 9 to 24.
Empowering youth through creative expression and personal transformation
Our nationally-recognized, award-winning curriculum has served more than 18,000 young people in Art from Ashes creative empowerment workshops.
Art from Ashes (AfA) is a Colorado nonprofit that encourages creative empowerment through artistic expression for struggling youth age 9 to 24.
For more than 20 years, AfA’s art programs have encouraged marginalized youth to tell their stories and find creative empowerment through poetry and spoken word in our award-winning Phoenix Rising program In 2017 AfA added the visual and tactile art program Drawing on Air.
All of AfA’s programs provide a safe, non-judgmental space with caring adults and community artists for youth to share their dreams, hopes, fears and pain, as well as the opportunity to connect with their community, and transform their stories from trauma to self-empowerment.
There are multiple ways to support our efforts, whether through donations, corporate sponsorships, joining the Dylan Thomas Society, volunteering, networking, or attending our youth performances.
AfA has partnered with 200 youth-serving agencies and schools to provide interactive programs that offer a healthy alternative to destructive behaviors for young people struggling with abuse and violence, poverty, racism, depression, and low personal resiliency.
Young people in challenging circumstances learn the power of their own creativity to reframe negative perceptions and determine a successful future.
Our work is changing the world by listening to, connecting with, and supporting transformation for thousands of young people a year.