bigger and better
Thanks to Gillette/Procter & Gamble, the Artists for Humanity is getting a land gift of 9000 square feet. The new addition will allow the South Boston non-profit – which mentors youth in art and design – to have a larger studio space, a gallery, a store and most importantly create even more new jobs for area teens. Currently AFH employees more than 250 teens. The new “Creative Industries EpiCenter” will expand upon its space at 100 West Second Street. Mayor Menino was on hand to offer his congratualtions and thanks.
“When Mayor Menino established the Innovation District on the South Boston waterfront, we believe the Gillette-AFH partnership was the kind of exciting project he envisioned,” said Susan Rodgerson, founding executive/artistic director of Artists For Humanity. “This land gift will allow AFH to significantly increase the number of teens we employ and engage more deeply with the community. We are very grateful to Gillette/P&G for this generous donation, which will not only provide more empowering jobs in arts and design for Boston teens, but also enable AFH to become a greater resource for Fort Point Channel residents and Innovation District businesses.”
About Artists For Humanity
Founded in 1991, Artists For Humanity’s (AFH) mission is to bridge economic, racial and social divisions by providing underserved urban youth with the keys to self-sufficiency through paid employment in art and design. AFH began with what was then an ambitious and unconventional idea – young people can provide, through their innate talent and vision, applied creative services to the business community. This concept is now a proven model for youth development. Training and employing urban teens is a solution to economic disenfranchisement and has a resounding effect on individuals, families, and communities. AFH is now one of the largest employers of youth in the City of Boston, employing 300+ teens annually in paid apprenticeship in the visual arts and creative industries. For more information, visit www.afhboston.org.
In photo: Sadia Bies, 18, and Mayor Thomas Menino post next to her portrait of him at a press conference announcing Gillette/P&G’s land gift to Artists for Humanity on Tuesday, July 30, 2013 in South Boston, Mass. The gift will help expand the nonprofit’s current facility and increase job opportunities for teens within the city’s creative community. (Photo by Aynsley Floyd/Invision for Gillette/AP Images)
