Young Aspirations/Young Artists

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		YA/YA is rooted in the belief that the arts, combined with entrepreneurship, are powerful vehicles for teaching young people and preparing them with essential life skills. It is the entrepreneurial component that distinguishes YA/YA from many other youth organizations. As a member of YA/YA, an artist has the opportunity not only to develop as an artist and a person, but they also have a chance to be financially compensated. There are three main ways that artists earn income while attending YA/YA: artwork sales through the YA/YA Gallery, Commissions (a design and client-based program), and working as an intern.
		YA/YA Gallery Through an artist's participation in each of our three programs (Artpentry, Inner-City Threads and Print YA/YA), they create a variety of one-of-a-kind art pieces, which are then sold in the gallery, at special events or online. The artists earn 50-80% of the sale price while the balance is invested back into program costs and post-secondary education funds. Additionally, artists learn basic skills surrounding the sale of artwork, such as packaging and shipping, art ownership, and trademark and copyright laws. The subject of taxes is also addressed, both in terms of changing sales tax and of potentially filing income taxes as an independent artist.
		Commissioned Artwork Providing real-life commercial experiences, commissions give our artists the opportunity to utilize their skills while training in entrepreneurial capacities. This often involves interacting with clients, creating artwork based on their input, invoicing, budgeting, and maintaining presentation and quality control. Unlike the traditional gallery sale concept when artists are paid only after their work is sold, clients approach YA/YA with projects and pay up front. The most challenging aspect of a commission is that the concept is mainly the client's vision and the artist must develop that vision into a piece of artwork. Commission projects can be small, such as pieces of furniture, or large-scale projects like murals, sculptures, and interior designing projects requiring a team effort. Over the past seventeen years, YA/YA has received over one thousand commission projects. Some of YA/YA's most significant commission projects include producing 150 chairs for one individual, designing the illustration for a YA/YA Swatch watch, and designing 550 fabric appliqués for the United Nations 50th anniversary.

		Internships Internships provide YA/YA artists with professional art experience that stretch beyond our studios. In the past, artists have staffed and operated our gallery, worked in our business office, and served as Urban Heroes mentors. Artists who are hired as interns receive an hourly wage as part-time employees.