With support from the California Arts Council, STUDIO 395 Foundation will fund an At Risk Art (ARA) Program that will focus on providing art instruction to teens and young adults who are in need of prevention and intervention services for drug/alcohol/gang involvement. We will be doing this with Art Not Drugs, a newly granted 501(c)3 developed by a STUDIO 395 board member to redirect youth in our community towards a more constructive life and positive self-image. A teen track program will be supported by school district referrals of students needing active engagement. The second track will be supported by local gang task force recommendations of youth at risk in the community. The program is focused on art as a means to express emotions and initiate healing.
STUDIO 395 is an organization comprised of artists and art enthusiasts engaged in enriching the community and its members through arts education, participation, and expression. STUDIO 395, established in 2011, has developed programs in cooperation with civic leaders, businesses, other non-profits, and through previously awarded grants, to advance artistic creation and appreciation with a focus of “art as a social practice” and community improvement. We have worked with our local government engaging community members, of all ages, who are low-income, seen as “at risk” and ethnically diverse, at venues in their neighborhoods, involving them in projects as we can. Our group maintains a business model approach, seeking donations and grants for programs, events, and venue development. Currently, we are a contracted operator for a Riverside County community center and also have a workshop space in an outdoor retail establishment that we use as a creation space for artists and can be set up for classes, workshops, and interactive events. We also sponsor an ongoing large mural program there and offer window space for local artists to display and sell their creations.

