Presidio Sentinel San Diego,
February, 2014
Mimi Brodsky-Chenfeld, a nationally noted early childhood
educator, says on her
phone answering message, that she’s “… out, sorry, still searching for peace in the world.”
In San Diego, at least,
she’s got good
company, as the
National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC)
announces its 26th
Peacemaker Awards, dedicated to a similar search. They’ll present their finds on March 1, 2014.
Congressman John
Lewis of Georgia will receive NCRC’s National Peacemaker Award. Long noted for his passionate
activism in civil and
voting rights, his life-long commitment to justice and non-violence, he reminds
– no, implores - us, that today
…”there is still more work to do!”
ARTS (A Reason To
Survive) – an organization that helps 2500 youngsters annually cope with grief,
anger and hopelessness through arts-based programs - will earn NCRC’s local
Peacemaker Award. Immersion in the
arts, contends founder/CEO Matt D’Arrigo, not only diverts kids from gangs,
drugs and assorted violent activity, but provides them a safe haven as well, in
ARTS’ new National City center.
Matt D’Arrigo
expanded on the organization and its unique way of seeking peace:
LW: You
created ARTS in the wake of your own family’s crises. Were arts your own source for ‘a reason to survive?’
MA: I was an
artist from a young age and always went to my art to feel better, express
myself, to find hope. Then, when a freshman in college, both my mother and
sister were diagnosed with cancer – and our whole world turned upside down. I
stayed home in Boston that year to
help my family care for them. Every day, I went to my room, put on music,
painted - and my whole outlook brightened. One day it just struck me how powerful it was. I knew it
would work for other kids facing their own pain! I sat down and created a little plan for a non-profit
organization that would provide a safe place for kids to escape and express
themselves – an Arts Center. I even came up with the name – A Reason To Survive
(ARTS) at that same sitting. It was all very powerful and clear – at 19years
old, I had found my purpose in life!
LW: Were you
already an artist/musician? Have
you had any other career?
MA: I knew I was going to start ARTS, but wanted to wait
until I felt ready to fully commit. I held a few odd jobs after college - then
moved to San Diego in 1997 and worked for Pacific Event Productions for about
three years as an artist, designer, and manager of their scene shop. In 2001 I
took the leap, and launched ARTS..
LW: Give us a short description of ARTS and
its mission?
MA: ARTS is dedicated to giving kids the ability,
opportunity and resources to embrace the power of art. We provide arts programs
that heal, inspire, and empower youth facing adversity. More: we use their creativity to prepare youth emotionally,
socially, academically, and with the skills needed to succeed in life. We run a
20,000 sq ft ARTS Center in National City, provide artists-in-residence to
partner sites and schools, and transform communities through our community art
initiatives.
LW: The
complexity of artistic expression ARTS offers kids is pretty amazing; seems a
lot to coordinate!
MA: It’s a lot, but our amazing team makes sure all the trains
are running on time! We feel it’s really important to offer a wide variety of
creative opportunities for youth; provide choices when they really don’t have
many choices in life. They may find their “voice” in visual arts, or music, or
dance, photography, etc. each kid is different. Our program model and
methodology is very thoughtful and purposeful with measured outcomes to ensure
we are making a positive impact in these kids’ lives. We have 12 full and part
time staff, about 30 paid teachers, and lots of volunteers to make sure we
carry out our mission every day!
LW: How do kids come to you, find you? All ages?
MA: ARTS serves 5-23 year olds facing some sort of
adversity – socio-economic, self-esteem/image issues, abuse, homeless, foster
care, juvenile court, etc. We work with social service agencies, schools, and
families to identify kids. We have an application, interview, and placement
process to ensure we are serving the right kids in the right way.
LW: Are
arts are your only “therapy” - vs.
say, mental health, medical services?
MA: We have a Licensed Clinical Social Worker on staff, and
rely on partners and professionals here to refer students and provide them with
help they may need: mental health, healthcare, food/shelter, etc.
LW: How much time do children spend with you?
MA: ARTS is designed as a sequential model that can follow
kids as they grow and meet certain benchmarks and outcomes we track internally.
The longer a student in the program, the deeper the impact we can have. A
student can be in our program from elementary school through college if they
wish.
LW: I’m
guessing that virtually every kid has a dramatic story …?
MA: All our kids carry some sort of story –most are very
personal - ones they never fully
share. Most have their own case-worker, therapist, counselor, etc. Our job is
to use the arts as a vehicle to build trusting relationships, redirect
behaviors, and create pathways to success. We celebrate success everyday – from
kids smiling after a tough day to kids getting accepted to college or appearing
on The Today Show!
LW: Last
year, ARTS earned an Oscar for the film, “Inocente” (“Best Documentary, Short
Subject”) dramatizing the experiences of one homeless 15-year old. How did the film come about? What impact
has the Award had on ARTS – and, where & how is Inocente - and her family – now?
MA: In 2009 I received a call out of the blue from film
makers Sean and Andrea Nix Fine. They saw a statistic - that one out of 45 children in America
are homeless! They wanted to tell that story through the eyes of a homeless
teenager, one who dreamt of being an artist. When they read an article online
about ARTS, the rest became
history. It’s been an incredible year, putting ARTS in the national spotlight
and given us a national voice. With it has come many opportunities and plenty
of responsibility. It has definitely helped our fundraising, but not as much as
people may think. What it has done has given validity to our program and opened
doors that may have been harder to open before, We can also leverage the
exposure for long-term sustainable growth by offering consulting, coaching, and
trainings for others who want to do what we do. And, Inocente?
She is doing well, on her own,
pursuing her dreams and
- no longer homeless!
LW:
How is your funding going?
MA: We really took a hit during the recession. We learned a
lot of lessons and have now built our earned revenue base so we are less
reliant on donations and grants. Our earned revenue went from 0% to now, about
30% of our budget. Donations and
grants continue to do well. We are currently raising $4 million to ensure we
meet the goals and objectives of our 5 -year strategic plan. San Diego has many
generous families, companies, and foundation - we’re lucky to receive their
support!
More information and tickets for the PEACEMAKER AWARDS,
visit www.ncrconline.com, click on
‘Peacemaker.”
