Art Program for Black and Brown Teens in Boston
Donation protected
Hello!
My name is Sammy. I am one of the owners of Modern Party Art, located in Dorchester, MA. Modern Party Art is New England's very first Black-Owned paint party studio. We are also the country's first ever All Things Art Public Studio!
My husband, Justin, and I established the business in 2019. We had 65 paint parties from June to December, all while working full time jobs and raising our kids. It was then that we decided to find a brick and mortar building. Even during the Covid19 Pandemic, we have been able to maintain an average of 4 private paint parties per week as well as at least one public event per week.
A little about us!
I am an artist who loves to teach, draw, and paint. I am Cape Verdean (West African) and Puerto Rican. I have a background in psychology, education, and special education. I was an educator for 7 years. I was also an afterschool program director for 2 years before resigning to open Modern Party Art and do that full time.
Justin is a creative writer, sound curator, and the studio's the financial officer. He has a Bachelors in Arts and Sports Management. He is an amazing lyricist and is sonically inclined. Justin quit his full time job in 2020 to focus more on Modern Party Art.
Together, we are parents of 4 children, ages 5-14.
The Studio:
Modern Party Art is a brick and mortar in Boston. I grew up in this community, and we currently live blocks away from the studio! The studio is located on a main street that is easily accessible by the T.
We have the space, materials, vibes, and background to help teens tap into their creative minds.
About Modern Party Art:
Located at 268 Bowdoin St. in Dorchester, MA.
We have been in business 3 years, however, we've only been open for one year and 2 months. We signed the lease for our brick and mortar space a few weeks before Covid hit.
Modern Party Art is a safe space to create for the BIPOC community. We have intentionally created an ambient and inviting space, in hopes of sparking creative juices in people who think they do not have an artist bone in their body. Our artwork and music are reflective of our community and culture. This is part of the reason why most of our customers come back for the eleventeeth time.
We offer ways to create in the studio, in your home, as well as virtually. After careful consideration of our competition globally, we've modeled our prices to be affordable. Taking the current state of the social economic crisis seriously, we've made our prices low enough for all of us to be financially responsible while having fun!
What we do in the studio:
- Open Mic Night
- Art of Comedy (workshops)
- private art lessons
- private paint parties
- Public paint parties
- Pop Up shops
- & more!
Outside of the Studio:
- Commission artwork
- Virtual paint parties
- Volunteer work
- Travel paint parties
- Corporate events
- Fundraisers
So, what's the problem we are trying to fix?
- It harder for black and brown teens to find things to do in the area that are affordable or free.
- Art is disappearing as an extracurricular activity in and outside of school.
- Black people are usually unaware that using art as a therapy is a thing.
- With the Covid-19 pandemic on top of the social media pressures, life can be really hard for teens today.
- This program will provide teens with the tools to raise their self-esteem through painting and writing as well as a safe place to build comradery amongst their peers
Some of the things we plan on doing during the Artrepenuer After School Program:
- Small group and one on one art lessons including: Drawing, Acrylic, and Oil Painting.
- Creative Writing prompts about self love and awareness
- Exhibition & pop up shop
- Learn how to price artwork and Commission pieces - fundraising for publishing
- Final book Publishing
Who is this program for exactly?
- BIPOC teens who have interest in art and/or writing
- Grades 9-12
- Teens who are looking for a career in art
- Teens who live in the community
What's the goal?
We plan to have 8-10 students at a time for 8 weeks at a time. We would love to have this program be free for the teens.
We will have 3 tentative seasons:
September 28 - November 19, 2021
November 30 - January 28, 2022
February 8 - April 8, 2022
Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Tuesdays: Creative Writing
Wednesdays: Self Love Through Oil & Acrylic Painting Day
Thursday: Social Group - Activity Day
So, how much is this gonna cost us!?
Supplies needed:
- Writing utensils $450
pencils
notebooks
printer ink
paper
- Art Supplies $480
Sketch books
Paint
Brushes
Canvas
Aprons
Paper good (Pallets, cups, napkins)
- Supervision and instruction- $4320
$180 per day for 2 staff members
- Overhead cost $5300 x 40% = $2120
Total: $7370 for 8 students per season
Any donation is appreciated and will help us get this afterschool program up and running!
Organizer
Samantha Rivas
Organizer
Boston, MA
