THE ARTIST VOLUNTEER CENTER
This was a nonprofit / artist project I developed and implemented from 2013 - 2017 to essentially help artists help people, and a way to connect those artists with opportunities to further their career with art made from their experience and around social change. I sought to decentralize the art world, and bring equity for all to experience the arts. Read this interview where I speak more about this as Social Choreography.
It was through this work that I realized the part of my job I was most concerned of and interested in was addressing the mental health of those I was serving. I put the Artist Volunteer Center to a close as I became a licensed mental health counselor. I am Co-Founder and Clinical Director at Shadowlight Center, an integrated mind-body-soul psychotherapy practice devoted to holistic healing. www.shadowlightcenter.com
ABOUT: The Artist Volunter Center (The AV Center) was founded on the principle that art is most powerful when inspired by or attempting to establish a dialogue around social justice issues. Designed to act as a conduit between artists, communities, and opportunities, the AV Center offered access to experts in the advocacy, nonprofit, and fine art fields, while redirecting funding streams to provide an alternative to the commercial gallery track. The AV Center also fulfilled the role of mentor and resource center, giving artists a framework for understanding and exploring social issues, as well as navigating the impact this may have on their artistic practice. All artist projects were collaborative endeavors from the beginning and are carefully designed to meet the needs of the community while challenging and expanding the skillsets and interests of the artists.
VIEW SELECTED ARCHIVE OF PROGRAMMING BELOW
INCEPTION: On the evening of October 29th, 2012, the first floor of my Brooklyn studio building on the Red Hook Waterfront was swept with seven feet of water. My space on the second floor was untouched, but all of my friends and neighbors below were completely devastated— their artwork, equipment, and livelihood vanished. I was grateful for having not been directly affected, but traumatized by witnessing devastation all around me. As a way to find meaning in what was happening I sought to help others get their lives back on track. I began volunteering in the recovery effort and was quickly hired by NY Cares then later by the organization Respond & Rebuild to run Volunteer Coordination in The Rockaways. I helped source, coordinate and lead thousands of volunteers to clean homes free of mold and debris. I worked out in Rockaway for nine months and shortly thereafter founded the nonprofit The Artist Volunteer Center
Funding for the Artist Volunteer Center was graciously provided by:
The New York City Cultural Agenda Fund
The Pollination Project
Arts From The Ashes
Danspace
Xaviera Simmons
As well as many private and anonymous donations
SELECTED ARCHIVE BELOW:
ENGAGING ARTISTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM
FOOD FIGHTERS TEEN PROGRAM
PRESS
TESTIMONIALS
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ENGAGING ARTISTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Tom Angotti speaking to the 2016 cohort. Image courtesy of More Art
About:
Jason Maas served as the Special Programs Coordinator for More Art, and was tasked with conceiving, developing, and leading the first three years of Engaging Artists, a socially-conscious residency program. The Artist Volunteer Center was one of the partners on this More Art program that connects artists with volunteering, encourages artmaking from direct action, provides connections in the fields of fine art, activism and advocacy and offers participating artists free studio space and access to grants.
In its first year, 2014, the theme was homelessness, and 15 artists were selected to volunteer in homeless shelters in partnering organizations all across the city. It is estimated that 3000 New Yorkers were served during the run of the program. In Engaging Artists 2015 the program was open exclusively to foreign-born and first generation American artists, who volunteered with immigrant seniors. Their final exhibition for the program was held at the Queens Museum.
The 2016 Engaging Artists Residency focused on issues of housing inequality in New York City. As the goal of the 4 month residency is to prepare artists for long-term activist work, ideal candidates were to live in New York City and have an interest in or dedication to housing advocacy, homeless services, and/or anti-displacement efforts in their respective communities. This residency program was provided free of cost to artists. The artists received a free professional development program, free studio space for three months, a chance to apply for a grant only available to the residents, and a final presentation / art show of work inspired by the program.
Preference was given to long-term New York City artists; artists of color; individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, those who have been excluded from the resources of the art world because of cultural, racial, and linguistic heritage and/or identity; do not have formal artistic training; or their creative practices have been historically underrepresented from mainstream exhibitions.
We welcomed applications from artists of all disciplines, including but not limited to: visual artists, graphic designers, architects, writers, performers, dancers, filmmakers, and musicians.
Engaging Artists is now a fellowship program run by More Art for artists seeking to develop their socially-engaged practice through volunteer opportunities with community organizations.
2016 Artists-in-Residence:
BRIDGET BARTOLINI
EMILY CHOW BLUCK
DANIELLE DELADE
ALEXANDER DWINELL
JONATHAN GARDENHIRE
ARTHUR HUANG
DURON JACKSON
ANEETA MITHA
ILARIA ORTENSI
LIGAIYA ROMERO
ARYA SAMUELSON
ETHAN SHOSHAN
ALDO SOLIGNO
PRISCILLA STADLER
CYNTHIA TOBAR
2016 Partner Organizations:
Bridge Street Development Corp.
CAAAV – Chinatown Tenants Union
Eviction Intervention Services
FUREE – Families United for Racial and Economic Equality
GOLES – Good Old Lower East Side
Movement for Justice en El Barrio
Neighbors Together
New York Cares
Picture the Homeless
Queens Neighborhoods United
United States Department for Arts and Culture (USDAC)
2016 Engaging Artists Residency Program Outline
ENGAGING ARTISTS 2015
2015's program was open to foreign-born and first generation American artists and the cohort was composed of 14 artists from 14 different countries.
The 2015 Engaging Artist cohort. Top L-R: Trokon Nagbe, Sara Meghdari, Alon Nechushtan, Aurelien Grez, Michelle Melo, Chee Wang Ng, Eugenia Malioykova. Bottom L-R: Guido Garaycochea, Christie Neptune, Hidemi Takagi, Annie Kurz, Uday Dhar, Andrew Nemr, Soi Park. Photo by Jeff Kasper
STUDIO NIGHTS:
The 2015 residents in their shared studio space in industry City
“There she lies, the great Melting-Pot—Listen! Can’t you hear the roaring and the bubbling? There gapes her mouth, the harbor where a thousand mammoth feeders come from the ends of the world to pour in their human freight”
-Israel Zangwill, The Melting Pot (1908)
New York City is known historically as a city of immigrants, and today it continues to be. The latest city-wide census cited over 37% of the population identifying as foreign born – the highest percentage in over 100 years.
Engaging Artists honors and supports this vital part of the community by offering a residency program open exclusively to foreign-born and first generation American artists. Participating artists will engage in long-term volunteer projects to connect with seniors and aging populations in their community and cross-culturally.
The program encourages local artists to deepen their understanding of socially engaged art through direct action involving volunteer opportunities and interactive weekly workshops. During a six-week period, participants are required to volunteer at least a half a day per week at local cultural organizations, organizations that serve seniors, in particular immigrant seniors. Artists have the chance to propose their own volunteer project, if they so choose. More Art provides introductions to organizations and help artists establish and seek out new partnerships. Volunteering is a direct action that will also provide artists with inspiration for artmaking, which is encouraged in the artists’ collaborative workspace, this year in Industry City. The program culminated in an art show at the Queens Museum and a chance to apply for a grant to further the work created during the program. Selected artists must commit to attend the full speaker program and studio project night series (see timeline below). This program is provided free of cost to artists.
Artists are provided free professional development, a collaborative workspace, as well as art show and grant opportunities. A speaker program offers the artists context, insight, and connections with professionals in the fields of fine art and activism. Studio project nights offer the artists collaborative art projects to work together on and/ or spur new ideas for each artist’s individual practice.
Artists who are foreign born or first generation Americans were eligible for the 2015 program.
The 2015 Engaging Artists are:
Alon Nechushtan, Israel
Annie Kurz, Romania
Aurelien Grez, France
Christie Neptune, West Indies
Eugenia Malioykova, Belarus
Guido Garaycochea, Peru
Hidemi Takagi, Japan
Michelle Melo, Colombia
Andrew Nemr, Canada/Lebanon
Chee Wang Ng, Malaysia
Sara Meghdari, Iran
Soi Park, South Korea
Trokon Nagbe, Liberia
Uday K. Dhar, India/UK
2015 residents at our weekly workshop at SVA. Jennie Smith-Peers from Elders Share the Arts presents an Age-Sensitivity Training to the group.
photo by Jeff Kasper
Thanks to a partnership with School of Visual Arts, all workshops were held there, unless otherwise noted.
May 19: Orientation | The Moderns, 544 W 27th Street (6 floor) | 7-9pm Speaker: Cynthia Tobar, Oral Historian presents on the essential aspects of collecting oral histories
May 26: Workshop: “Working with Elders” Speakers: Keynote Presentation by Christian González-Rivera, Research Associate at the Center for Urban Future on their report "The New Face Of New York's Seniors" followed by an Age Sensitivity Training by Jennie Smith-Peers, Executive Director of Elders Share the Arts
Six week volunteering period begins
June 4: Resident Meeting at shared studio space in Industry City
June 9: Tuesday Workshop: “Immigrant & Elderly Advocate Orgs.” Speakers: Andrea Lawrence and Theresa Loong
June 18: Resident Meeting at shared studio space in Industry City
June 23: Workshop: “Artist As Advocate” Speakers: Pablo Helguera, Amy Wilson & Rebekah Burns discuss their work
June 30: Workshop: “Artist As Activist” Speakers: Betty Yu, and Bill Powhida discuss their work
July 16: Resident Meeting at shared studio space in Industry City
August 13: Resident Meeting at shared studio space in Industry City
September 10: Final meeting at shared studio space in Industry City
October 15: Grant applications due\
Fall 2015/Winter 2016: Final Exhibition, Location TBA
ENGAGING ARTISTS 2014
To see a selection of photos of the year's program, click here
To learn more about the program's Spring 2015 art show at the Hot Wood Arts Center in Red Hook, click here.
The 2014 ENGAGING ARTISTS Residents (left to right) top: Anna Adler, Kate Weigel, David Wallace, Fanny Allie, Dato Mio, Travis Fairclough, Julia A. Rooney, Emily Miller. Bottom: Christina Sukhgian Houle, Jamie Marie Rose Grove, Anne Peabody, Flavia Berindoague, Sue Jeong Ka, Corinne Cappelletti, Anthony Heinz May
The theme of the 2014 Engaging Artists program was Homelessness. In summer 2014, the Engaging Artists residency encouraged 15 artists to deepen their understanding of socially engaged art through volunteer opportunities with one of the city’s most vulnerable populations, the homeless. Presented by More Art, and developed in partnership with the Artist Volunteer Center, Judson Memorial Church, Common Ground, and The Bowery Mission. More Art has crafted a one-of-a-kind program that activates artists to become involved in art-making and mentoring homeless youth in New York City. The artists’ experience is enriched and contextualized through weekly workshops at Judson Memorial Church with professionals in the field as well as artists, curators, and activists. The six-week residency program is connected to their studio practice, encouraging the production of artwork that is informed by this unique program, which culminated in a show of the work made during this time at Hot Wood Arts Center in Red Hook, Brooklyn. To learn more about the show, click here. Artists submitted proposals to More Art for a project at the end of their residency, and selected projects were awarded to a group of residents: Anna Adler, Corinne Cappelletti, and Julia Rooney for their project REMAP. Sue Jeong Ka was also awarded a development grant. These funds allowed the artists to continue his or her work with this population.
Our Engaging Artists 2014 session:
Christina Sukhgian Houle
Anne Peabody
Emily Miller
David Wallace
Corinne Cappelletti
Anna Adler
Kate Weigel
Flavia Berindoague
Fanny Allié
Sue jeong Ka
Dato Mio
Travis Fairclough
Anthony Heinz May
Jamie Marie Rose Grove
Julia A. Rooney
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
NY CARES: Mobilizing almost 60,000 volunteers a year to serve 400,000 New Yorkers in need, NY Cares is the largest volunteer organization in the city. There are approximately 50 volunteer opportunities available now with homeless populations. http://www.newyorkcares.org/
COMMON GROUND: Their mission is to strengthen individuals, families and communities by developing and sustaining exceptional supportive and affordable housing as well as programs for homeless and other vulnerable New Yorkers. Common Ground volunteers will create and lead art classes with residents of The Domenech in Brooklyn.
THE BOWERY MISSION: has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since 1879, when its neighborhood came to define the term “skid row.” The Bowery Mission serves as a refuge to the poor and hungry in New York City, who seek care and the opportunity to transform their lives. Volunteer artists will develop and lead fine art and art history classes at The Bowery Mission Women’s Center at Heartease Home.
SYLVIA’S PLACE: is an emergency shelter for LGBTQ homeless youth. Volunteer artists will work with homeless LGBTQ young adults, aged 18-29 at the shelter, creating collaborative art projects.
ART IN THE WOODS: A week long camp for homeless and at-risk LGBTQ youth to experience arts and nature at a queer spiritual retreat outside Albany, NY
Below you will find an itinerary for the workshops.
Engaging Artists Weekly Workshops
June 12 – July 24, 2014
Judson Memorial Church, Assembly Hall
239 Thompson Street, New York, NY 10012
6:30 – 8:30 pm
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
June 12th: Andres Serrano artist talk and Reception for Residents
June 19th: Keynote talk: "Art, Activism & Organizational Form" by Todd Lester.
Followed by a workshop on Art Therapy:
Learn about the mental, physical, and spiritual benefits of art therapy and participate in an activity.
-Speakers: Martha Dorn ( Executive Director of the Art Therapy Outreach Center) and Karen Gibbons (Art Therapist and Independent Health and Wellness Professional)
June 26th: Homeless Advocacy Organizations
Representatives from NYC organizations devoted to helping the homeless community break the cycle of homelessness, will speak about their organizations and how to get involved.
-Speakers: James Macklin (Director of Outreach at The Bowery Mission), and Chris Tabellario (Ground Community Director at Common Ground), and A representative from Picture the Homeless
July 10th: Homeless Advocacy Artists
Artists whose practice involves working with homeless individuals or organizations will speak about their artistic practice and show us examples of their work with the homeless.
-Artists: Jody Wood, Heather Stoltz, Hunter Reynolds, KOKO Surani, Travis Laughlin (director of Education at the Joan Mitchell Foundation), and Kenji Nakayama
July 17th: Artist as Activist
Artists whose practice bridges the gap between art and activism will talk about their work.
-Artists: Jordan Seiler, Paula Segal, Caroline Woolard of NYCTBD, and more to be announced
September 4th: Curatorial consultation and portfolio review
Guest curators will provide final critiques and guidance for the resident’s projects.
-Curators: Annelie McGavin, Molly O'Brien, Ed Woodham, Nathlie Angles, Kalia Brooks, Megan Suttles, Amy Rosenblum Martin, and Sarah Corpron.
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FOOD FIGHTERS
Program Description:
FOOD FIGHTERS was an art and community internship program that focused on food justice as it related to income inequality. Over the course of six weeks, teens completed volunteer internships at different food justice organizations in New York City, such as Drive Change, Mt. Sinai Health, and Harlem Grown. The students contributed a minimum of eight hours per week for the six weeks. The students also met weekly at CUE Art Foundation where they shared their experiences, heard from guest speakers (activists, artists, advocacy experts), and engaged in art projects that drew from the students’ volunteer and workshop experiences. The students traveled to the BK Farmyards, a student-led farm on the grounds of the School for Public Service in Brooklyn, and got a vegan cooking demo on affordable healthy food straight from the garden by Just Food. They also utilized the Civic Art Lab, a pop up community center in Bed Stuy as a studio for their artmaking. The program culminates in two art exhibitions: one focusing on food justice and installed at CUE in Manhattan, and another focusing on income inequality and installed at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn. Students’ work hung alongside works by established artists who have creatively expressed interest in or dedication to these critical issues. Both exhibitions opened in August of 2015.
A summer internship program for exceptional teen artists
The 2015 program was developed, produced, and presented by With Food in Mind’s Teen Artists Raising Awareness (TARA) and the Artist Volunteer Center’s Student Artist Volunteer Experience (SAVE) Program. With Food in Mind is a nonprofit that develops art-based approaches to food education and food injustice, exploring the potential of visual art and artists to impart nutritional knowledge and to affect change in childhood obesity in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
The program was presented in Partnership with CUE Arts Foundation, and students were nominated by their art teachers and staff at the Joan Mitchell Foundation.
Our weekly workshop program brought in the following speakers:
Tanya Fields, The BLK Projek
Katherine Gressel, curator of Sensing (In)Equality
Tour of BK Farmyards student-led farm and cooking demo by Just Food
Tattfoo Tan, Artist with a history of working with Food Justice
Robyn Hillman-Harrigan, Founder of Shore Soup
WHAT OUR FOOD FIGHTERS HAD TO SAY:
“One of the most important things I learned in this program is the importance of knowing where our food comes from and how it is handled. Knowing where our food comes from and making sure it is the best possible, leads to a healthy lifestyle and body.
Another important thing I learned is that a person can make a difference even through the smallest action. For example, a person can create a piece of art that speaks on behalf of an issue, and the people who see this art can be inspired and become advocates. This creates movement that helps a community of people. A unified community is important for living.”
— Zharia George, 16
“I learned that everyone should have access to affordable fresh and healthy food. More people than I realized do not have this access.
I also learned that even though I am small and young I can still make a big difference. Everyone who wants to can make things better in whatever way they choose, whether it be through art, activism, education, work, or a combination.”
— Lauren Danielle Chiovetta, 16
“I learned that there are still people in this world who will make an effort to change every race, ethnicity, sexual preference, and gender, but there are also thousands upon thousands of people who refuse to turn a blind eye to this and to corruption in our society. Just knowing that people like this exist makes me believe that even difficult challenges, such as food injustice and income inequality, can and will be overcome.”
— Anaya Berry, 16
This program was funded in part by a generous grant from The Pollination Project to the Artist Volunteer Center, and by individual supporters of With Food in Mind.
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PRESS
"In a New Residency, Artists Make Work by Volunteering" April 7th, 2015
NYFA Spotlight on AV Center Founder & Director Jason Maas January 12th, 2015
"Announcing The Artist Volunteer Center" October 17th, 2013
"Artists: 100 volunteer hours is the ticket to your next residency" October 22nd, 2013
TESTIMONIALS
"Working with AVC, and specifically Jason Maas, has changed my perspective on how artists engage with the world and how we can creatively blur the boundaries between art and every day life to be inspired by both. AVC and the Engaging Artists Residency created many incredible dialogues and exchanges, giving us (the artists) access to homeless and formerly homeless community groups that we would have otherwise been unable to work with. Jason is extremely passionate, sincere, smart, kind, and hard working. He is absolutely devoted to this work, and interested in creating challenging conversations, pushing boundaries and finding innovative ways for artists to step outside of the comfort zones of their studio practices. After our EA residency was completed Jason mentored my collaborators and I through an additional grant (which we received!) so that we can keep working on a project with the homeless communities we connected with through AVC."
-Anna Adler, Engaging Artists Resident
"Jason was an incredible mentor and visionary through the Engaging Artists residency. Before even meeting him, I was moved by the mission and structure of the program he devised -- one that combined art-making, community involvement and a collaborative learning environment. Once the program started, I felt supported and heard as he facilitated meetings and brought in community partners to share their work with us. We were all taking risks -- learning as we went -- and Jason was a part of this the whole way. It was incredible to see someone both lead and "learn through" a program for the first time. Since the residency concluded, I have continued to know Jason as someone who approaches projects and people with a combination of ambition and humility. It has been extremely rewarding to work with him, and to see him actively situate a studio practice with broader community work."
-Julia Rooney, Engaging Artists Resident
"I participated in the Engaging Artists Residency that Jason organized. Jason was full of heart and integrity. He was a sensitive and warm facilitator. He was down to earth and eager to both share his experiences and skills, and learn from the participants he brought together for the Engaging Artists workshops."
-David Wallace, Engaging Artists Resident
"Opportunity to participate in the AVC Engaging Artists program as an emerging artist in New York City helped foster personal and professional growth, gaining knowledge for the various social institutions that make up the metropolitan environment. Throughout the residency, Jason Maas compiled various thoughtful and thought-provoking seminars offering the participating group a greater perspective on social dialogue and issues as they persist in the city. Jason is an organized and well-versed leader who often passed the torch to various artists and event speakers throughout the residency, to allow everyone a platform for inquiry and discussion. In testimony of a successful experience while participating in the Engaging Artists residency, I can personally attest that the extent of my knowledge on subjects tackled during the program were fairly limited. I credit experience gained from the AVC Engaging Artists residency as result of well-coordinated guest lectures and functionally sound, focused seminars. The opportunity has invigorated my own artistic possibilities and facilitated tangible defining of art as part of a greater social practice."
-Anthony Heinz May, Engaging Artists Resident
"Working with Jason and the Artist Volunteer Center was fantastic. Each meeting was filled with insightful, thought provoking speakers and presenters who provided us with different points of views on the topic of homelessness. I learned so much during the Engaging Artists Residency, but more importantly, I learned that there is so much more to know. The things I've learned during the residency continue to affect the work I make now, and I have a feeling they will continue to do so."
-Jamie Grove, Engaging Artists Resident
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