The mission of fresh art, a non-profit organization, is to provide expanded artistic, personal development, and entrepreneurial opportunities to New York City artists with special needs. We are also dedicated to enhancing public awareness of these artists' talents and concerns, their agencies' work, and on the use of art as a tool for healing, growth, and positive change.

fresh art collaborates with local New York City social service, community, and institutional art programs in an effort to bring the talented work of these marginalized artists into the public eye. From August 2001 - April 2003, we established the first non-profit exhibition space and support center in New York City for these artists. fresh art presently provides the following services:

• Art Exhibitions
• fresh art online (featuring virtual galleries and The Biography Project)
• Fine Art and Craft Workshops
• Art Career Counseling for artists with special needs
  

Since October 1999, fresh art has mounted 27 public exhibitions with artwork from 28 social service agencies in venues throughout New York City. From 2000 to the present, fresh art has created 45 fine art and craft workshops for artists with special needs participating in programs at 14 community centers and supportive housing facilities in the city.

• Inspire, motivate, boost self-esteem, promote personal development;
• Highlight the creative potential of people with special needs;
• Link artists with special needs to mainstream society;
• Provide technical assistance, entrepreneurial and vocational opportunities;
• Enhance public awareness of these artists' talents and concerns, the work of their agencies, and on the use of art as a tool for healing, growth and positive change.

 

Our artists reflect the diversity of special groups served throughout the city by a number of helping agencies. They are:

• seniors
• people who are emotionally and physically challenged
• people with HIV and AIDS
• homeless adults
• people with mental illness
• people in long-term recovery from substance abuse
• artists from the justice system

Agencies we are currently working with:

• Baltic Street Studio
• Bellevue Hospital Chemical Dependency Out Patient Clinic
• Bowery Residents' Committee
• Community Access
• F.E.G.S.
• Help P.S.I.
• Hospital Audiences, Inc. (HAI)
• Metropolitan Hospital.
• SCI's St. Martin de Porres Transitional Shelter
• St. Francis Residences I, II and III
• The Point
• Valley Lodge Shelter
• Village Adult Day Center

Former partnering agencies and groups:

• Art Start
• Birch Family Camp
• Caring Community
• Center for Urban Community Service
• Grand Street Settlement
• Harlem Horizon Art Studio
• John Heuss House
• Lower East Side Girls Club
• Northeast Center for Special Care
• Project Renewal
• Sirovich Senior Center
  

fresh art was formed in September of 1997. We are a
501 (c) (3), tax-exempt organization and, formerly, a sponsored project of The New York Foundation For The Arts.

Suzanne Kreps, Executive Director
An original advisory board member, Suzanne became our new executive director in July 2003. She has been with fresh art since our early beginnings and has contributed greatly to the growth and creativity of the organization. Suzanne is responsible for implementing our Exhibitions Program, for much of the development of the content of the fresh art website, has been involved with annual programmatic planning, and with our special events committees. Suzanne also possesses strong administrative and organizational skills through her work as Manager and Archival Curator of the prestigious OK Harris Gallery in Soho over the past twenty years. She has a B.S. in Art Education from Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, PA and an M.A. from New York University.
For further information on exhibitions and workshops, contact Suzanne: suzanne@freshartnyc.org

Beverly Bergman, Exhibitions Coordinator
In 2003, we first became acquainted with Beverly through her active volunteering with fresh art. Beginning in March 2005 fresh art employed Beverly as a teacher for a new fine arts workshop at a supportive housing residence in Chelsea. Having studied at The Arts Student League, Beverly brings her artistic knowledge and skills to the painting workshop she leads for seniors at St. Margaret's House in Lower Manhattan as well as other fine art and craft workshops. Beverly works with Suzanne in the planning and implementation of fresh art exhibitions and related programming.

Wendy Grossman Warlick, Founder
A graduate of The New School For Social Research, Wendy has over ten years of volunteer and work experience in social service direct care, administration and art therapy practices with the homeless, the mentally ill, and the elderly. Wendy created and led Arts and Recreation Programs for two NYC homeless services agencies: The Bowery Residents' Committee and the John Heuss House Drop-In Center. These experiences, coupled with her desire to work with people of special needs who use art for self-expression, healing and growth, led her to form the fresh art organization. She and her family currently live in Rhode Island where Wendy leads art and writing workshops for homeless women.

Volunteer Staff
Molly Gahagan, Volunteer Coordinator
Sara Greenfield and AnnMarie Harris, Marketing Coordinators
Matt Taylor, Photography
Christopher Skura, Exhibitions
Tritia Thamrongnawasawad, Administrative

Board Members
Alyson D'Anna, Chair
Autumn Terrill, Vice Chair
Gregory Tarris, Treasurer
AnnMarie Harris
Luke Henry

Our Board members are committed to fresh art's mission and goals. They are leaders in their respective fields and are making valuable contributions to the growth and solidity of the organization.

Program Advisory Committee
Carey Clark, The Point
Melissa Cohen, Metropolitan Hospital
Lena Friedman, Bellevue Hospital Chemical Dependency
Out Patient Clinic
Hedda Kafka, Baltic Street Studio
Susan Pustilnik, Bowery Residents’ Committee
Geoff Rawling, Rockaway Artists Alliance

fresh art's Advisory Committee is dedicated to providing technical assistance and advisement regarding the ethical treatment of artists with special needs, and in the development of organizational policies and procedures.

Thanks To Our Friends
HAI for donated desk and exhibition spaces (www.hainyc.org)
I-Level for expert professional installation services (www.ilevel.biz)
Ozone Design and DML Marketing for great socks

Website Designers
This site was designed for fresh art by pink design, inc. and is maintained by Margo Mooney. It is webhosted by monkeybrains.net