Back To School: Art Kits

AHC knows that it takes imagination to change the world, and that art is a powerful tool to help young people develop self-awareness and compassion. As schools are beginning to host classes in-person, Art Kits are an important part of the ‘Back To School’ season. Each kit contains everything a student needs to stay creative - art supplies, printed activity guides developed by educators and information about additional online resources. 

AHC provides arts education to some of the most underserved communities in Oakland, with 90% of students coming from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. The Art Kit program fills the gap, providing supplies and curriculum to students who would not ordinarily have access to arts education. Click here to support our Art Kit Program.

ArtEsteem Featured at FLAX art & design

We are excited to announce our current exhibition at FLAX art & design in Downtown Oakland. 

The paintings on display were created by students in our integrated arts program, ArtEsteem. This is the perfect opportunity to see the work of Oakland youth in-person and AHC Teaching Artist Laila Espinoza is enthusiastic, “It’s a great gift to be able to share art.” She mentions that the exhibition sparked interest even during the installation, “When I was putting the pieces up, customers were curious about the paintings...the powerful stories behind them and the students who created them.”

FLAX art & design have been the Bay Area’s most well-loved retail art business for over 30 years. The ArtEsteem Exhibition is available for viewing at its Oakland location during normal business hours: Monday-Saturday 10:00am-6:30pm and Sunday from 10:00am- 6:00pm. 
1501 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94612

Earn2Learn Provides Jobs for Oakland Youth!

Earn2Learn is a youth-employment program that provides Oakland youth with training and employment opportunities. This year participants have been able to work with local businesses such as Sankofa African Arts and Jewelry, Flax Art Store, and Community Foods Market amongst many others.

The goal of the program is to provide youth in Oakland an opportunity to earn income while developing their employment skills, and building self-esteem through work experience. Earn2Lean is managed by AHC in coordination with Lao Family Community Development Inc. and the Oakland Housing Authority.

Oakland youth graduate from our Earn2Learn program (2019)

Let’s Stay Creative! Art Kit Drive

Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC), Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA), 
Vision Quilt and Junior Center of Art and Science are teaming up to show LOVE, and are continuing to inspire learning through creativity. Realizing that students may not return until the fall and Teaching Artists may be out of work for the remainder of the school year, we have identified some simple and unique ways to provide alternative options for children to access arts instruction.

Please help us with this immediate need to keep children and families engaged.

Hoovers Students Help Design MLK Banners

Last week our student-designed banners were installed on Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Oakland.  The students' involvement in the community banners project has been in development since January of 2019.  The project was presented to AHC by the San Pablo Area Revitalization Collaborative (SPARC). It presented AHC with the opportunity to lead a beautification project that would have a lasting legacy in the Hoover-Foster community. The first and original theme of the banners was centered on community identity, whereas the second and final installment of banners pay homage to the great social justice activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The first set of banners were installed on San Pablo Avenue, between Brockhurst and 29th Street. The second set of banners are installed on Martin Luther King Jr. Way,
between 32nd and 29th Street.

San Pablo Avenue & 31st Street

The MLK banners were student-designed and led with the support of community members of Resident Action Council (RAC), primarily Ms. Annette Miller. The students from Hoover Elementary were offered the opportunity to submit an artistic rendition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as an entry to win the opportunity to convert the artwork into a banner to be installed on  MLK Jr. Way. Over forty student submissions were retrieved. A winner was selected unanimously by RAC.

Martin Luther King Jr. Way & 32nd Street

With the additional support of Gold Metropolitan Media and the City of Oakland, the MLK banners
were installed the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, just in time to celebrate and remember the
many teachings of one of the world's most iconic civil rights leaders. One year later, the entire process
has expanded and strengthened the community as a whole. Collaborative efforts were exercised and generational connections were established for years to come. - Eduardo Escobedo, ArtEsteem Instructor

Thank You, ArtEsteem Exhibition 2019

ArtEsteem students from Hoover Elementary School in Oakland.

Friends, families and community allies!

Thank you for gracing us with your presence, smiles, cheers and accolades at AHC's 21st Annual ArtEsteem Exhibition! ArtEsteem students put their heart and soul into their artwork and we had one of our most successful exhibition openings to date. We are so appreciative of AHC volunteers who worked with passion to engage our young people and make this event a success!

ArtEsteem instructor “Mr. Justin” with family

Life-sized self portrait by ArtEsteem student Isabella Alonzo, “Let Us In”

Super Heroes in Progress

We are more than halfway through the Super Heroes project at AHC. Students have been studying social justice issues that are important to them, and designing life-sized self portraits that relate to their cause. Each painting exists not only as an art piece, but as a call for social change.

The finished pieces will be on display at our upcoming ArtEsteem Exhibition on May 18th. The annual ArtEsteem Exhibition is always one of our highlights of the year. You can see the full details on our event page.

ArtEsteem instructor Justin Mullon teaches some basic illustration techniques.

Identity, Strengths & Weaknesses

The ArtEsteem program is moving full steam ahead at Hoover Elementary School! The current project focuses on themes of identity. The youth are designing masks that reflect different aspect of their personality, and in essence, how they see themselves. This process has brought some thought provoking discussions to the classroom. Students were challenged by being asked critical questions such as, “What have you learned about your identity?” and “What are your strengths?”

This project will go on throughout the school year, and we’re excited to show you the completed pieces on May 18th at ArtEsteem’s 21st Annual Exhibition! The event is happening right here at AHC, catch the details on our event page.

Masks from different cultures, for inspiration.

From left: Mask inspiration, Mr. Eddie helps out, student writes down her strengths.

Students work on developing their narrative, and help each other along the way!

Student thinks about her identity.