Huddled intently around drafting tables in an airy, industrial-chic design studio in South Boston, dozens of artists sketch, share concepts and discuss how best to execute their clients’ visions. These talented designers are not adult professionals, but teen employees of Artists for Humanity (AFH).
Founded in 1991, AFH employs more than 400 teens annually in paid positions in the visual arts and creative industries. Most of these teens come from low-income or very low-income households. AFH’s Boston studio and gallery space is located at 100 West 2nd Street, where teens collaborate on public art installations and help plan and execute commissioned projects. By partnering with clients, mentors and peers, teens develop valuable skills such as teamwork and critical thinking, positioning them well for careers in business and other fields.
Lorraine Johnson, Director of Marketing and Branding at AFH, said that AFH enables young people across Boston to earn an income while honing their professional abilities and promoting their perspectives. The teens interact with corporate and nonprofit clients in industries such as healthcare, real estate and architecture.
“Our mission is to harness the power of mentorship and paid professional experiences to inspire teens to build their future. So, in short, we’re giving them an opportunity where they might not have had access before,” Johnson said.
Johnson said that employment at AFH does not require prior artistic experience. Teens receive 36 hours of training in fine art and digital design before joining one of seven creative studios, which include fields like photography, graphic design and animation. In producing projects for AFH, teens work closely with professional mentors, many of whom are former teen employees of AFH themselves.
Sa’Nye Beal, a senior at the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics & Science, learned collage techniques in AFH’s 3D Design Studio, where she has worked for three years. Beal said that she has grown personally and professionally through her experience at AFH. Tasks like interacting with clients, processing sales and interviewing teen applicants have boosted her confidence.
“When the teens are invited to really important events that have the Board of Directors come here, or different sponsors come here, and they come to talk to us, it puts us at a standard where it’s like, O.K., you guys are teens, but you are also the ambassadors of AFH. So it puts you in a more mature role than most teenagers,” Beal said.
Beal said that in contrast to other employment opportunities available to teens, like fast food jobs, her work at AFH provides a meaningful outlet for ideas and emotions she might not otherwise express.
“AFH is a really good opportunity, especially for low-income teens or teens who are marginalized. This is a good job to have,” Beal said.
Santiago Vergara, a junior at East Boston High School, began working in the Painting Studio at AFH last year. He said that he has always enjoyed drawing, and he applied to AFH after a counselor at his school saw his artwork and encouraged him to do so. Vergara said that AFH has allowed him to produce independent projects he is proud of.
“You get to put your thoughts or your personality or your ideas into the paper and just make something up, and it’s literally going to be you and nobody else,” Vergara said.
While Vergara values the solitary aspects of painting, he said one of AFH’s greatest benefits is the attention and support he receives from adults and other teens in the program. He said he appreciates the assistance and resources AFH provides for skills development and exploration in a safe and open environment.
“This is not only a workplace, this is a family to you, and it’s going to be really helpful to build yourself. If you’re in a dark place, it’s really going to help you with it,” Vergara said.
According to Johnson, AFH helps teens cultivate the capabilities and self-assurance needed for career success. In addition to professional training, teens have access to free academic tutoring and college advising, among other services.
“They need a place to go that is safe, a place where they can explore their voice, build their confidence in the world, and realize that they have value,” Johnson said.
Beal said that she appreciates the visibility and impact of her work for AFH.
“If I come up with a design and the client likes my design, I feel like I’m not just some teen artist who’s not really doing anything. My stuff is getting sold and made and produced,” Beal said.
Johnson said that AFH is continuing to grow. It has recently expanded to New York City and has launched a program called AFH Co-Lab, which opens AFH facilities to teachers and students from Boston-area schools during daytime hours.
According to Johnson, the AFH business model is transformative not only for the teens who work there but also for AFH clients and the broader community.
“By interacting with clients and creating design and art solutions for these clients, they’re really learning that their voice has power and that someone cares about what they have to say and contribute to the world,” Johnson said. “And in that process, you find that the client also changes their worldview, because they may have underestimated the power and the capacity of young people.”