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The Ascent :: the Art from Ashes newsletter :: Spring 2013
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 Greetings!Because you celebrate youth, art and hope, we've got some wonderful news: In 2012 Art from Ashes worked with more than 676 youth (1,847 youth contacts), providing 236 Phoenix Rising workshops in seven counties, as well as 57 adult workshops that supported our youth programs. Not only that, but SAMHSA's Service-2-Science award allowed us to contract with long-time volunteer, statistical analyst, facilitator, "capoiera profesor," and social worker (phew!) Lewis Lease to create charts and graphs that prove the impact we're having on our community! THIS is why the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities has decided we're one of the top 50 arts and humanities-based programs in the country! Hopefully we'll get to the top four and win the National Arts and Humanities Youth Programs award and meet Michelle Obama, who is the honorary chairman. All of us who serve this agency providing poetry and creative arts for struggling young people know that every day the work we do has a profound and profoundly positive impact on our communities. And because many of you celebrate those things by donating your time and money, we celebrate you, too. Thank you.  |
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More Information On the President's Youth Award!
The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities "bridges the interests of federal agencies and the private sector, supports special projects that increase participation and excellence in the arts and humanities and helps incorporate these disciplines into White House objectives." Winners of the award receive $10,000 to support our youth program and are flown to Washington to meet the First Lady.
Read more about this national award here...
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 Featured Youth Poet :: Natalia Yasmin
Natalia, 24, has been coming to AfA workshops for several years, having been introduced to us through Urban Peak's youth drop-in center The Spot. She also has been an incredible performer at AfA events.
Chad Guerrero recently interviewed her to find out why she participated over the years and what the workshops mean to her.
Link here to read her interview and to see one of the many amazing poems she's written from our 3-minute prompts. |
 Beautiful People are not uncommon at Art from Ashes...
Yet Reid surpasses all definitions of beauty. And after three years of exceptional service and passion for the youth and for our work, come Friday, May 3, Reid will be saying goodbye to Denver for a while. We feel like we are losing a family member, as well as one of the kingpins that holds our agency together. Thankfully, we also welcome another beautiful person, Amanda Roggow, to the agency as Office Manager, and we're grateful to have her handle some of the increasing workload.
If you'd like to say a special thank you and goodbye to Reid, please post something on our Art from Ashes Facebook page.
Read more about Reid here... |
AfA and ArtsStreet awarded 2A Grant!
Art from Ashes and ArtsStreet collaborated to submit the 2A RFP to the City and County of Denver for summer programming for youth. AfA was partially funded to provide 20 Phoenix Rising workshops for Denver Inner City Parish's summer camp
in the College View neighborhood for children of the working poor, many of whom are in shelters.
To offset the balance of the costs, we are launching a Beanstalk campaign! The "challenge" will be live in a week, and we'll let you know the minute it's up. Please give however you are able to support this program (and feel free to give early HERE!). Learn more...
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Makin' the Numbers Sing & Dance :: courtesy of a SAMHSA grant and resident statistical genius Lewis Lease
 Thanks to a Service-2-Science grant from SAMHSA, our 2012 program stats are about to be compiled, "scrubbed," and ready for dissemination (we're pretty and smart!). Check our current numbers out! We've got charts and graphs!! See all the pretty numbers and pie charts here... |
 and speaking of pies...
Poetry & Pie :: First Friday, May 3 at 6 pm
Offering several tasty dishes for our donor royalty! An evening of poetry, all types of pies, wine and ribaldry (look it up if you have to, like the language, I too, am Olde English). This First Friday is the second Dylan Thomas Society event of the year for members of our prestigious group of fiercely generous donors (and for those of you who really really want to belong to a fiercely generous group of donors). Dylan Thomas members get perks like pies. You would like them...the perks and the pies. Read more... or RSVP here! |
 We're Having a Gay Old Time... for the FOURTH Time!
To better collaborate with the LGBTQ celebrations in Denver this summer, the FOURTH annual Running of the Gays event will take place closer to the Denver PrideFest in June. On Sunday, August 11th, you can take advantage of this unique opportunity to show support for AfA and the queer community, as well as end up with some great pics of yourself looking fabulous! Run a 3-block marathon in heels and help fund Phoenix Rising workshops at Rainbow Alley. Let's make 2013 the summer of rainbows! For now, you can let us know you're interested in either running or supporting a runner on our Facebook page or by emailing Anna-Liisa Breit, marathon coordinator, at abreit@gmail.com. Or just donate immediately to the cause on our Running of the Gays FunRaising page! And yay you, if you do! Find out more here... |
Featured Peep, Hilary Blair!
Hilary joined AfA a year ago after attending the Mama Means Business conference where our Executive Director was conducting a pilot version of the Apostrophe factor, AfA's workshops for business professionals. Hilary was inspired by the presentation, and even more so when she learned about the effectiveness of the Phoenix Rising program with struggling youth. Upon hearing about the impact that AfA workshops have on young people, she decided to share her wealth of knowledge with the youth AfA serves, as well as with facilitators and staff. She has since become an active and engaged member of the board of directors.
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 Poetry. It's not just for struggling youth any more...
Art from Ashes workshops transform the lives of everyone, no matter the age. Because we serve youth, doesn't mean our programs only work for youth. More than 300 adult participants have benefited from our small group six-week workshops, and we're about to launch our new large group afternoon workshops. Not only can adults find the access to their inherent creativity, but the money invested supports our youth programs. Win/Win!
Click here for a list of upcoming workshops... |
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This Just In! FREE Adult Mini-Workshop on Creativity!
Starting in June, you can try out our Phoenix Rising workshop prompts at Art from Ashes every First Friday from 6 to 7 pm. Then pop on over to Su Teatro with us, which is just around the corner, and watch our youth perform. Fun! And Free! (Although don't be surprised if we suggest a $10 donation to provide stipends for our wonderful young poets... just sayin'.) Learn about our transformational adult workshops here, and please register here ahead of time due to space limitations.
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Contact Information
phone: 303.837.1550
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