Artistic Noise helps at-risk youth express themselves through art

Artistic Noise, a Harlem-based non-profit, started when two women, Francine Sherman and Lauren Adelman, initiated an art-making activity for a juvenile detention center for girls in Boston. After one girl was released, she joined Awais and Adelman in forming the program dedicated to assisting youth aged 14 to 22 who face challenges in foster care, shelters, probation and mental health issues.

Twenty-five years later, Artistic Noise staff and alumni reflected on their work at an event on October 20, hosted by the Incarceration and Decarceration Working Group of the CNY Humanities Corridor.

Executive Director of Artistic Noise Calder Zwicky said the organization sets itself apart from other nonprofit organizations by providing economic support to high school and college students while offering them the opportunity to create art in a safe and celebratory environment.

Attendees of the event worked on a recreation of one of Artistic Noise’s recent courthouse projects, “Identity Boxes.” The craft was meant to encourage self-reflection and inspire youth impacted by the carceral system, Zwicky said.

Zwicky said many participants in Artistic Noise had never held a paintbrush before joining the program, but now showcase their artwork at annual exhibitions in New York City to share their creations with the community.

Members of Artistic Noise earn a stipend of $17.50 for each hour they spend in the studio and receive 100% of the proceeds from sales at art shows. Many of the works created in the program convey themes of self-identity, resilience and connection.

While some participants leave their exhibitions with thousands of dollars, the true gain is the personal growth developed throughout the program, Zwicky said... [Read the full Daily Orange story.]