Art and Resistance through Education
We Believe In
Human Rights
Since the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, no document has more clearly outlined the inherent rights and freedoms guaranteed to every human being. Despite the importance of this influential document, many young people may feel disconnected or not see the relevance of the UDHR and human rights in general in their lives. ARTE is committed to providing a quality human rights education that informs students about the frameworks that exist to delineate and protect their rights and the rights of others.
Youth Development
Our Mission
We firmly believe that young people are experts in their own experiences and should be provided the framework to amplify their voices and participate in meaningful change.
Art and Resistance Through Education (ARTE) engages young people to amplify their voices and organize for human rights change through the visual arts.
Using art, design, and technology, ARTE students develop creative projects that bring awareness to local and global human rights challenges. As an organization, we strive to remain adaptive in our impact: our curriculum is flexible to address issues that are important to our students and relevant to current events. ARTE centers youth voices, encourages advocacy, and provides opportunities for collaboration to allow students to step into leadership positions to train and organize other young people in their own communities.
Arts Education
Our Vision
In response to decreased funding for arts programs in public schools around the country, ARTE seeks to fill this gap in education and enrichment. We believe that all young people, regardless of their socio-economic background, are entitled to the most quality arts education possible.
New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the country, and the equity gap between high-poverty and affluent schools, particularly in arts programs, is at its highest. We use the arts as a way to connect with students across backgrounds, regardless of their personal experience or skill level.
With each workshop that ARTE completes, its students become part of a larger cohort of engaged and active youth around New York, the United States, and beyond.
ARTE seeks to devise opportunities, both in-person and online, for these young people to connect, collaborate, and share ideas on creative ways to advocate for human rights change in their communities.
The Team
Ruth Meschery-McCormack
Rhea Charles
Intern
Program Assistant
Board of Directors
Aissatou Barry
Assistant Professor of Clinical Law, Brooklyn Law School
Darcy-Tell Morales
Chief of Learning and Community Engagement at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
nora rahimian
Anticapitalist Business Coach & Co-Founder of #CultureFix
Advisory Board
H.I.H Princess Ariana Austin Makonnen
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Tarisse Iriarté
Valentina Canavesio
Sabine Blaizin
Dr. Constance F. Kane
Alex Gavryushenko
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John Gershman
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Michael Hirschhorn
Matthew Hanson
Hon. Dr. Sadaf Jaffer
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Nelli Agbulos
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Dr. Carmela Muzio Dormani