Statement Arts

Founded by Liza in 2003, Statement Arts was conceived at the High School for Environmental Studies (HSES), a Title I public high school in New York City's Hell's Kitchen. Inspiration for our current youth programming: the StART Dreaming College Readiness Program and our StART Young Summer Music & Theater Program, stemmed from the success of our work at HSES. In 2010, we left the New York City public school system to help level the academic playing field for disenfranchised kids through the exploration of their artistic talents. We reach young people at the most critical time in their development and encourage them to believe in themselves and are there with the practical resources to help them to achieve their goals. Our alumni network extends the positive support, offering guidance and encouragement as our students navigate their college years and beyond. Statement Arts believes in the power of an integrated arts education to cultivate the next generation of leaders who can inspire social and cultural change. Our holistic approach supports young people and offers the space for them to find their voices and add their statements to the world.

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Phare Circus: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Phare artists are students and graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak’s (www.phareps.org) vocational training center in Battambang. The association was formed in 1994 by 9 young men coming home from a refugee camp after the Khmer Rouge regime. They were greatly helped during that time by an art teacher using drawing classes as therapy and wanted to share this new skill among the poor, socially deprived and troubled youngsters in Battambang. They founded an art school and public school followed to offer free education. A music school and theatre school were next and finally, for the kids who wanted more, the circus school. Today more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily and 500 attend the alternative schools. Phare Ponleu Selpak also has extensive outreach programs, trying to help with the problems highlighted in their own tales.

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KOTO: Hanoi, Vietnam

KOTO stands for Know One, Teach One - learning should be passed on; knowledge is meant to be shared. This is the essential idea of KOTO’s Vietnamese-Australian founder, Jimmy Pham. In 1999, Mr Jimmy opened a hospitality training centre in Hanoi, giving at-risk and disadvantaged youth the opportunity to break the poverty cycle by forging a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. ​ Twenty-two years later, our over 1,200 graduates now include executive and sous chefs, hotel and resort general managers, business owners as well as university graduates. All are contributing to their families and society. KOTO continues to be acknowledged as a leading unique not-for-profit social enterprise, not only in Vietnam but also internationally. Today, KOTO provides over 100 at-risk and disadvantaged youth per year in Vietnam an opportunity to undertake our 24-month holistic hospitality training program to end the cycle of poverty and truly empower our trainees to realise their dreams.

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KOTO Founder, Jimmy Phan

Class of 2020

Class of 2020

Graduating Class with Liza

The Roots of Music: New Orleans, USA

The Roots of Music was created in 2007 during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, by Derrick Tabb, Grammy winner and CNN Hero. The Roots of Music is true to our name: we are the roots of music education and culture in our city. Tabb watched as many of our city’s music education programs did not come back in the wake of the storm and he knew that in order to save the lives of the city’s youth as well as its culture, he had to create a space for youth and music to thrive. From its humble beginnings as a six-week drum camp at Tipitina’s, a bar and music venue, to being a $1 million dollar organization with three programs and full wrap-around support services, The Roots of Music has held true to the belief that music saves lives.

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THE YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS OF LAOS: Partnership with @MyLibrary

@MyLibrary: Luangprabang, Laos

We empower people to pursue their interests, achieve their potential and fulfill their dreams by providing the resources and tools they need to study and help themselves... Because everyone deserves a chance to better themselves and their world. We are presently working in Laos, where we have developed a working relationship with the Director of the National Library and tapped the energy and experience of local, motivated students, teachers and community leaders. Our library and book donation program is unique. Unlike most projects that rely on donated used books and book overruns, we carefully choose every book to be culturally appropriate and to meet specific, local needs at individual libraries. We believe that our users are important and that small collections carefully chosen have the greatest value. Although founded in 2000 to help the large number of students studying English without access to materials, the push for education and the severe shortage of materials in every subject area quickly led to the expanded role of supporting study in all areas. 75% of the materials we provide are not available in Laos.

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Luang Prabang, Laos 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 & 2020

In February of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 in partnership with their non-profit, Statement Arts, Liza & Ari traveled to Luang Prabang, Laos to teach photography to a group of young aspiring photographers and bring much needed equipment. Because of the generosity of our supporters, we were able to donate more than 125 cameras, (DSLRS as well as point and shoots) tripods, flashes, light shapers, software, tablets, backpacks, lenses, cases and much more to Carol Kresge's revolutionary non-profit, @My Library.  In 2020, they were joined by Photoshop/Lightroom master, RC Concepcion and Latanya Henry.

For two weeks, they taught more than 40 participants camera basics, proper exposure, story-telling through images, composition and how to capture moments. The project was hugely successful and we are hoping to return to Laos when the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.

You can see more of their work here. 

 

 

THUMA & THE BURMESE PHOTOGRAPHERS: Partnership with Deitta Gallery

Yangon, Myanmar 2016 & 2017

In 2016 and 2017, Liza, Ari and Statement Arts ran four workshops in Yangon. For two of these workshops, we partnered up with Yu Yu Myint Than and Myanmar Deitta, Yangon’s only gallery dedicated to the photographic arts. Social workers from the Shan States of Northern Myanmar were brought down to the capital city to participate in these classes. These young activists are dealing with civil war, drug addiction, human trafficking, land/territory issues and rights for the LGBT community. They are on the front lines, often times before the media. By putting cameras in their hands and providing them with photography skills, they will be better able to document what is happening in their rapidly changing country. There were 10 (7 males and 3 females) enrolled in this workshop.

In February of 2017, we ran our first 'women only' workshop. Eight dynamic and talented young women, the THUMA Women’s Photographic Collective, joined us again at the Myanmar Deitta Gallery to learn about how to make compelling images and story-telling. 

We are hopeful that the current political situation will change and we look forward to going back to beautiful Burma soon.