Partnerships: Artists in the community
Criminal Justice System
Discovering a different way.
Research shows that fine arts programs in correctional facilities can help inmates find safe ways to express and release emotion, achieve greater focus and discipline, build life and social skills like communication and reflection, restore confidence and self-esteem in their abilities, and connect back to the larger community.
Mobile Youth Project
Along with ahha Tulsa, local artist Anitra Lavanhar partners with Phoenix Rising Alternative School, which serves students in grades 9-12 who are involved with, or at high risk for, involvement with the juvenile justice system, for iPhone photography residencies. Students learn basic photography skills such as composition and focus while also learning how to use editing apps to turn their iPhone photos into works of art.
Lavanhar is currently working with Professor Jon Smythe of Oklahoma State University to develop trauma-informed curriculum that is both educational and relational. The program is designed to give students the confidence and skills necessary to be creative and express themselves and their stories through their own lens.
You Can Help!
To donate an old iPhone or iPod Touch to Mobile Youth Project, please email akitchens@ahhatulsa.org.
Contact Us
To partner with us for a program and to inquire about becoming a teaching artist, please contact Aleks Kitchens: