About OUR Arts Foundation

What is OUR Arts Foundation? OUR Arts is a non-profit organization in the San Diego area that partners with other organizations to help those affected by trauma, specifically those impacted by domestic violence, sexual violence, sex trafficking, homelessness, and the foster care system. 

 

How does OUR Arts Foundation help trauma survivors? We actively seek volunteer artists and helping hands, buy art supplies for the various art mediums, and physically travel to the locations of the partnering organizations to lead art workshops for trauma survivors. We do this continually every week, in other words, we keep showing up! 

It takes time to heal from trauma.  

Why does OUR Arts Foundation believe they are making a difference in the lives of trauma survivors?  The Foundation recognizes that trauma creates barriers that hinder emotional well-being, leading to silence as a protective measure; the Foundation understands that art offers trauma survivors a safe, non-verbal way to reconnect with their emotions. 

Why are we looking for donations? By partnering with OUR Arts, your donations help provide on-going art workshops to help trauma survivors on their healing journey.

More information about OUR current partners can be found on our partnership page 

OUR Story

About twenty years ago, I visited a yarn store that was actually a store front for domestic violence counseling. As a ceramic artist, I have been pondering the possibility of reaching people suffering from abusive relationships or homelessness with the healing qualities of art. Finally, in December 2020, OUR Arts Foundation was granted charitable status and positioned to offer art workshops around San Diego County. Of course, by March, all personal contact was ended as we sheltered in place. Coming out of the pandemic, OUR Arts Foundation (OUR stands for Outreach, Understanding, and Resilience) was ready to begin offering art workshops in organizations that serve people traumatized by sexual abuse, the foster care system, and homelessness.

With the help of local artists, OUR Arts Foundation offers workshops in various art mediums, including ceramics, painting, resin, woodworking, jewelry, floral design, horticulture, yoga, and much more. It has been proven that through artistic expression, people reconnect with the parts of themselves shuttered and lost during trauma to find new pathways to healing. Our participants exclaim in surprise over their unique and compelling creations. It is an absolute joy to bring moments of connection and happiness to survivors who are renewing their health, wellness, and hope. OUR Arts Foundation is working with several charitable organizations in San Diego County and continually adding more as new volunteers step forward to share their artistic passion.

OUR Arts Foundation welcomes artists interested in sharing their creative expression by teaching a class or two. OUR Arts provides all class supplies, allowing the participants to keep everything they create. Volunteers are also welcome to come alongside artists to help support and encourage the participants. In each class that OUR Arts Foundation offers, the participants have been heard to say, “You did all of this for us? Just us?”

OUR Goal

OUR goal is to draw survivors into artistic expression​ as a way to reconnect with their emotions.​

Artistic expression helps survivors communicate in a safe, non-verbal way.

OUR Arts Foundation hopes to achieve this goal by providing on-going art workshops.

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