Teens get the tools they need for art

By Tuan N. Pham
For Boston's poor, Artists for Humanity represents hope. Talented inner-city youths are placed into a nurturing environment where they can express themselves through art.

South Boston-based Artists for Humanity provides supplies, support, and space for youth to apply themselves.

"We must help young people discover their talents," said Susan Rogerson, the director of Artists for Humanity. "We must learn how to learn and learn how to listen. So that's why we give this free space to whoever wants to drop in."

Started in 1990 by Rogerson, the group originally wanted to make profits to help poor artists. However, that plan did not work.

"I first started the program to make a profit for the kids, but that wasn't possible," Rogerson said. "We just couldn't get the resources. So I applied for a nonprofit grant from the city, and we got lucky."

With contributions from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Hyams Corporation and the city of Boston, the situation is slowly improving. One of their major contributors is the Massachusetts Corporation of Educational Technology (MCET). By using Artists for Humanity's artwork in educational videos and newsletters, MCET is doing its part to support the organization's goal.

Walking into their second-floor office on A Street in Southie, a visitor sees the vibrant colors in the paintings crying out for attention. The gallery in the front of the office includes some of the best work of the members of this program. "We are proud of what we hang outside," Rogerson said. "It's the first thing someone sees when they enter the office. We want to tell them a message with the art."

The program is geared toward the tastes of the artists. By creating works of art, they are spreading the word of Artists for Humanity..

"I found out about the program through my sister," said Tiffany Ann Luongo, 15. "I saw her stuff, and I wanted to do it myself."

Artists for Humanity also represents a safe haven for teens from their chaotic lives. "It's fun," says Jade Elizabeth Luongo, Tiffany's twin. "Before this program, I just sat at home after school and watched TV. Now I have something to do in the afternoon."

Artists for Humanity offers various arenas for the exhibition of the subject's artwork. One is a virtual gallery located on the MCET Web site. Through this, they show most of the paintings from the program, offer biographies about the artists, and provide a conduit for people to purchase the art. By creating a new arena, people from across the globe can view and appreciate the artwork of these teens.

By reaching out to inner-city youth, Artists for Humanity accomplishes its mission statement: to bridge the city's economic, racial and social divisions, and to restore urban neighborhoods at the grass roots level. "We must become a bridge to combat sexism and racism created by the city," Rogerson said. "We must become a mending tool."

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