YA/YA News | Upcoming Events

YA/YA prepares creative young New Orleanians for successful future by providing training in artistic techniques and professionalism. We teach art design, production, pricing, marketing, career-building, financial management, and curating. We offer young artists both the tools and the savvy to become professionally successful artists, while instilling in them skills useful in general life endeavors as well. Our primary goal is to impact and enrich the lives of the young artists who work with us; our broader vision emphasizes the importance of an artistically educated populace and workforce overall.

Our training program follows an artisans' guild model, with artists moving in calibrated steps through a series of apprenticeship and mentorship levels. Artistic and academic accomplishments, plus consistent participation, earn these advancements, and at each new level artists find enhanced potential for personal and professional growth. As they advance, artists also earn greater authority over the pricing and placement of their work, and earn greater percentages of individual artwork sales.

YA/YA's home studio/gallery is open to participants after school and on some weekends. On some days, structured workshops led by professional artists focus on specific media and techniques. On other, "open studio" days, the artists are able to practice these new techniques or pursue independent artistic projects. Rontherin Ratliff, Production Manager and a YA/YA alumnus himself, is always available to the artists for guidance and consultation.

In addition to artistic and academic requirements, our artists commit to community service projects each year. On a given weekend, you may see YA/YA artists outside working on a community mural; coaching younger children in artistic projects during festivals or fairs; or painting faces at neighborhood gatherings. We are proud of the positive energies our young artists share with New Orleans through their talents and spirit!