By: Mitra
Creative Inspiration, Goals, Rewards, Santa Barbara, ,

Starting a Youth Led Art Gallery

I’ve been busy the last month working on a new project from Youth Interactive(YI) – the first youth led Art Gallery space in Santa Barbara to educate & enhance support for the next generation of creative entrepreneurs, artists & artisans. YI is a Creative Entrepreneurship Academy based in the Funk Zone of Santa Barbara, California. Their Mission is to ignite youth imagination, mentor creativity and help close the opportunity divide.

If you are interested in being a visiting artists at YI Creative Studio or mentoring our youth artists – click here for more details.

The Youth Interactive teens face considerable obstacles on their pathway to adulthood – 83% are from low-income homes and 50% live in neighborhoods beset by violence. These creative youth come to Youth Interactive looking for a positive way out. Youth Interactive helps by creating youth led artisanal businesses as a vehicle to help bridge the opportunity divide and empower youth to become economically self-sufficient as they share in the profits of their businesses.

Youth Interactive’s signature program, THE YI CREATIVE STUDIO, is specifically designed to ignite imagination and enhance the business skills of young artists and creative entrepreneurs.
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YI CREATIVE STUDIO young artists, get credits in art and economics, learn key skills that will provide the knowledge and resources to help advance an art career, develop ideas, and increase financial independence. I lead the Saturday workshop sessions and are bring in professional artists and business leaders with artistic, commercial and graphic design experience. Over time all our young artists learn the key concepts involved in goal-setting, marketing and self-promotion, curating, pricing art shows, money management, legal issues, strategic planning, time management and pricing commissions.
All students have the opportunity to receive feedback and insights in small group critique sessions with local and international leading arts and business professionals.
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The YI Creative Studio showcases & sells homegrown contemporary youth art from regional youth artists and their mentors in a creative hip commercial hub. Located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s touristic & gang neutral funk zone, this vibrant youth led art gallery is bridging the opportunity divide for at risk, low-income Youth in Santa Barbara County and growing artistic literacy in the community.