For almost 17 years, Art Start has connected New York City’s fine artists with homeless and underserved children to make masterpieces. From filmmakers to photojournalists to fashion designers and architects, Art Start’s nationally recognized model of arts-education has been powered by volunteer artists — over 1,000 of them to be exact!

Volunteering for Art Start is more then just community service — it’s life enhancing for all involved. Paired up with young people whose dreams far surpass their immediate circumstances, artwork is just one of the magical results. Your ideas, your time, your expertise and your willingness to make a relationship with a child or a teen, even if just for one night a week, will open up their minds to seeking opportunity and plowing towards their goals — not to mention how it will open you up as an artist and creative mind.

The Commitment

Art Start volunteers have many ways to contribute to our mission, but the main one is to be a Project Volunteer, which requires of you to:

- Commit to 3 months, one night per week.

- Have a background or interest in the arts and a willingness to help create a workshop of your liking.

- Have a positive, open-mind and believe that anything is possible with vision and commitment.

- Undergo a volunteer artist training for 2-3 hours prior to beginning.

- Undergo a background check.

The Projects

Our workshops take place inside the city's shelters and require volunteers that are highly committed and reliable. The goal of our projects is to create art with young people by infusing practical and technical skills with messages that challenge their self-perceptions, their views of society and current events. Art Start uses a learning-based approach that builds upon the pre-existing interests of our youth participants and inspires them to find the answers to their questions within themselves.

Apply

Please fill out the application (which will in a pop-up window) and you will be contacted within 1-2 days.

Schedule

Build a Project

Coming Soon