News Blog

BWB is proud to support an amazing collaboration with youth artists from the Phoenix Artist Collective and the Bounty Farm in Petaluma. Amber Faur, Executive Director of the Phoenix Theater, tells the story of the impact that  is possible when we invite the gifts from the youth in our communities and provide space for those gifts to flourish.

In my own personal experience, I have met very few artists who didn’t know that art was the medium through which they would communicate with the world from a very young age.  Though few were given the support, guidance and mentorship that would allow them to enter the art world without a struggle.  Being artistically talented is a gift, albeit one that without the skills to promote, communicate and navigate the art scene, can remain hidden from the world.

The Phoenix Theater, in Petaluma, CA, is a special place where young artists are given those skills, through unique and innovative programs that recognize the talents of young artists and focus on the skills they need to place their art out in the world.

There are many programs which focus on arts techniques and theory.  These programs are extremely valuable and important to artist development.  What makes the Phoenix so special is the “real world” interactions that we provide for our youth.  Preparing them for a professional life in the arts.

The Phoenix Art Program is designed with a focus on the development of young people as artists. We provide programs which engage our young artists in the professional art world through mentoring relationships with artists, art shows at the Phoenix and local galleries, and community/public art projects. We hope to give youth the skills to promote themselves, interact with communities and find the support they need for projects.
The Phoenix Art Collective (PAC), takes the shape of a committee, composed of students, staff/artists and board members. Members are responsible for finding or creating community arts projects, which are presented to the committee for selection. The projects must be broad enough to include multiple artists, engage with the community, include an artist mentor and be driven by youth. Once a project has been selected, the artists are responsible for the design, coordination and execution of the project, with support from artist mentors and staff. The committee meets year round, weekly, or more often as a project requires.

We are extremely grateful for the support that we received from Burners without Borders, in the form of a grant that allowed us to buy supplies for one of these projects. With this grant from Burners without Borders, the Phoenix Art Collective designed and created a billboard, for the Petaluma Bounty Farm, a local nonprofit, which provides locally grown produce to low income families to create more visibility for this wonderful community organization.  The final sign stands 12 feet tall and 16 feet wide. Contributing artists Emily Hart, Micaela Madden, Justin Robison and Shon Nichols did a fantastic job, from concept to final realization.

This grant not only allowed us to engage in a wonderful community project, but also allowed our young artists an opportunity to stretch in a direction that they might not otherwise have contemplated. The “stimulus grant” from BWB was one stimulus grant that really worked and actually affected a local community in ways that federal stimulus grants would never do!

Participating in this project also allowed these young artists to feel connected to and supported by a larger community they were not aware existed before this opportunity.  Thank you to all of the Burners without Borders for supporting our artists through this process!

-Amber

Help keep the Phoenix Art Program inspiring youth to realize their civic potential.  Click here to donate.