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Cover Photo: Photographer- Sharon Miller, Model - CYS Member Pamela
About Us
The Creative Youth Society provides transformative creative career exploration, and art exhibition opportunities designed to empower NYC youth between the ages of 16 to 24. We service all youth, with a primary focus on those who are disenfranchised, including youth dealing with justice involvement, foster care, financial instability, and housing instability. We equip participants through a journey of skill development, industry exposure, and career guidance in their chosen creative fields.
Meet the Founder
Sharon Miller, is an award-winning photographer, hip hop artist, multi-hyphenate visual artist, and creative educator from Queens, New York. Sharon is passionate about using her skills for social change. As a former underrepresented artistic youth, Sharon founded The Creative Youth Society, as a platform to teach other underserved NYC youth visual arts, creative entrepreneurship and exhibition skills in order to inspire them to explore the creative career industries. In addition to her work with The Creative Youth Society, Sharon has also partnered with various respected organizations such as Groundswell Mural Project, Bric Arts Media, NYC NeON Arts, Citizens for the Arts, and Artistic Noise to facilitate youth arts workshops & exhibitions across New York City. Sharon is a recent 2024 EnFoco Photography Fellowship winner. Sharon Miller seeks to continue expanding on her visual storytelling via art, music and her creative lens, while transforming the lives of others in the process.
Services We Offer
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
$30.4 BILLION
dollars In wages paid to New York City creative sector employees in 2017.
The Creative Economy Report, by New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer, October 2019.
68% Although people of color make up 68% of New York City's total population, they only represent 34% percent of the workers in all creative occupations.
34%
There are 350,000 young people ages 16-24 in the New York metro area who are neither working nor in school.
Employers
Struggle
to
Find Qualified Creative Workers
BARRIERS TO ARTISTIC ENTRY
Lack of BIPOC representation in galleries, museums, and art publications
Financial limitations
Lack of materials & supplies
Lack of access to educational and skill
building resources
SKILLS TRAINING OFFERED
The Creative Youth Society offers various skill development workshop opportunities, including
Visual & Fine Arts
Creative Entrepreneurship
Graphic Design
Photography & Video
Exhibition & Curation
Emerging & Immersive
Technologies
Music & Performance Art
DIY Craftsmanship
SERVICES OFFERED
The Creative Youth Society offers the following services to its members:
Free Creative Workshops
Mentorships & Career Guidance
Space to Create
Public Exhibition Opportunities
Resume, Portfolio & Grant
Writing Assistance
Income Opportunities
Free Meals & Metrocards
Free Fun Excursions & Field Trips
95% RETENTION RATE
ESTABLISHED IN 2020, 95% OF CYS PARTICIPANTS STAY ENGAGED, FOSTERING LONG-TERM GROWTH FOR EMERGING CREATIVES!
SKILLS GAINED
The Creative Youth Society members gain the following skills :
Creative & Artistic Skills
Technical Design Skills
Social & Team Building Skills
Time Management Skills
Conflict Resolution Skills
Community Engagement Skills
Confidence and Self-Awareness
Development
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
The Creative Youth Society & its founder have won the following awards:
NeON Arts Grant Award Winner, 2024, 2023, 2021 & 2020
QCA Grant Award Winner 2021
CYS Founder: NYFA/NYSCA Grant award 2023 NYC Artist Corps Award Winner 2021
OUR VISION
As an emerging organization driven by a vision of significant impact, The Creative Youth Society is committed to scaling its programs, benefits, and reach within the community. We will achieve this ambitious vision by:
1. Amplify Our Impact: Expand Program Reach
We aim to significantly increase the number of youth we serve through targeted community partnerships, outreach efforts and potential program expansions into new neighborhoods.
2. Cultivate Comprehensive Growth: Develop New Programs
We will introduce a series of new programs to enhance our offerings. This includes career and arts-focused workshops, artist residencies, and academic tutoring programs in core subjects like math, writing, and reading. Additionally, we plan to develop etiquette and public speaking classes to equip our youth with essential life skills.
3. Immerse and Inspire: Expand Learning Through Immersive Experiences
We are committed to enriching the learning experience by introducing field trips, travel opportunities outside of NYC, studio visits with renowned artists, and location tours related to creative careers. These immersive experiences will spark creativity, broaden perspectives, and ignite a lifelong passion for the arts.
4. Showcase Talent and Build Community: Organize Public Events or Exhibitions
We will host captivating public events and exhibitions showcasing the artistic talent cultivated through our programs. Ticket sales and proceeds from these events will directly support our programs and further our mission.
5. Foster Collaboration and Growth: Partner with Other Organizations
We actively seek partnerships with schools, businesses, and other organizations. These collaborations will allow us to share resources, expand our reach, and offer more comprehensive services to the youth we serve.
6. Secure Sustainable Funding: Diversify Funding Sources
We are committed to long-term sustainability by diversifying our income streams. This includes applying for a wider range of grants, establishing an online store to sell merchandise, offering public workshops with participation fees, renting out studio space to the public for additional income, and utilizing income from our founder's other ventures to support the program's growth.
The Creative Ambassadors Project won the Sony Alpha Female Photographers Award , 2021
The Creative Ambassadors Project was featured in Click Magazine 2022, Photoville Festival 2022, and on Spectrum News NY1, 2022
-Malin A. Evertsz Mendez (CYS Youth Member)