When we established the South Valley Arts Group in 1992, the Kuumba Club first used recreational workshops to help young people explore and expand their creativity while heightening their cultural awareness.Soon we began to encompass a broader spectrum to include music, dance, fashion, drama, drawing, creative writing, design, audio engineering, even martial arts.
The diverse artistic needs of the Kuumba Club members provide the impetus for the Artists' Alliance Program, a collaborative effort between the South Valley Arts Center and local artists.The Alliance gives young people with arts-oriented goals an opportunity to interface with adult artists from every discipline who help them develop their talents. It also provides them with mentors and positive role models. Through the Alliance, artists network to share ideas and experiences, and often find collaborators for their own projects. In exchange for their Kuumba Club participation, artists get help finding rehearsal or work space, recording services, musical or performance training, and other products and services essential to their artistic growth.
These programs developed into the Youth Arts Conservatory, which helps churches and community organizations establish youth arts programs of their own. We have helped established programs at Trinity Episcopal Church in Montclair, The First-Park Baptist Church in Plainfield, The United Methodist Church in Orange, The Church of the Epiphany in Orange and Trinity & St. Philip's Cathedral in Newark.
Other programs include:
~ Chamber Orchestra -Percussion & Guitar Labs -Center for Language & Literature -SummerArts -Jazz on the Portico -The Horn Man -Artisans’ Workshop ~Heritage Project
To find out how your student can be a part of Youth Arts, contact
