ArtWell

08/27/2026

We’re thrilled to announce and welcome two new members to the ArtWell Board of Directors: Melanie S. Carter and Josephine Viviani!

Melanie and Josephine each bring a wealth of passion, expertise, and dedication to the arts and to building stronger, more connected communities. We’re excited for the perspectives they bring to ArtWell as we continue our work of fostering creativity and inspiring the next generation of creatives. Welcome to the ArtWell family!

Swipe to get to know Melanie and Josephine our newest board members!

Interested in joining the ArtWell Board? Click here to learn more about getting involved. https://www.theartwell.org/join-the-board

08/18/2026

Summer may be winding down, but imagination has no end! This summer, ArtWell partnered with Play on Philly to fill the days with exploration, connection, and plenty of room to create. On Temple University’s campus, our Teaching Artists guided students through hands-on creative experiences where self-expression met collaboration, and new friendships grew along the way.

In these photos, Teaching Artists Jean Wong and Lindo Jones invited students to dream up their own scribble monsters, using playful characters as a way to explore, identify, and develop the personality traits they want to carry with them. From a scribble on a page to a new idea about ourselves, creativity has a way of helping us see what’s possible.

Here’s to a summer well spent and to all the ideas and connections our students are carrying forward.

08/12/2026

Read along with us! We’re excited to announce bell hooks’ Art on My Mind as ArtWell’s book pick for the 2026–2027 program year.

In Art on My Mind, hooks invites us to look more deeply at the power of art, and at the ways race, gender, class, and culture shape what we see, who gets represented, and whose stories are valued. Through thoughtful essays on visual culture and Black representation, hooks challenges us to consider art not simply as something we look at, but as a powerful space for identity.

This book asks us to think differently. It encourages us to question dominant narratives, make space for marginalized voices, and recognize the transformative potential of creative expression. Art on My Mind also connects deeply with ArtWell’s organizational theme for the year (and one of our six core values): Social Justice.

Throughout the year, we’ll explore how art can help us see one another more fully, create space for diverse perspectives, and build stronger, more connected communities. Stay tuned as we read, reflect, and explore the power of art together!

08/05/2026

Meet ArtWell’s 2026 Intern Cohort

This summer, a remarkable group of students from Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania joined the ArtWell community, bringing bold ideas, open hearts, and a deep belief in the power of young people and the arts.

Behind every program and every moment of connection is a team that is learning and creating what’s possible together. Their curiosity and insights have helped shape our work in ways both seen and unseen.

Swipe through to meet this inspiring cohort. Hear what moves them and celebrate the next generation of leaders committed to creativity, community, and liberation through the arts.

07/24/2026

As we plan for a new school year, we selected Social Justice as the core value that will anchor our work inside and outside of the classroom. Social justice is not just an idea; it is a practice. It is the courage to imagine a world where every voice is valued, every story matters, and every young person has the opportunity to thrive. It asks us to listen deeply, speak boldly, and create with compassion.

At ArtWell, we believe art is more than self-expression, it is a catalyst for connection and transformation. Through poetry, visual art, and collective creativity, we explore the questions that shape our communities and make space for new possibilities. Art reminds us that another world is always waiting to be imagined and then created.

This theme will guide our work throughout the year, from our classrooms and partnerships to our annual Poetry & Art Show. Together with our community, we'll explore what justice looks, sounds, and feels like. And how creativity can help bring it closer.

Here's to a year of courageous conversations, bold imagination, and art that moves us toward a more just future.

07/15/2026

Another year full of moments where art became connection, courage, and possibility. From July 2025 to June 2026, ArtWell served 1,717 particpants (1,053 K-12 school students) and worked with 30 program partners across 15 Philadelphia zip codes, creating spaces where young people could imagine, create, and grow.

Every number tells a story. Every story begins with a young person finding their voice. Swipe through for a snapshot of what we built together this year. These numbers give just a glimpse into the work we do to stay committed to our Our mission of creating supportive spaces for Philadelphia youth to engage in artmaking as a pathway to self-expression and wellness.

Want to explore the full ArtWell By the Numbers report? Click Here:

Written and designed by Heeseo Yoon

07/10/2026

Every classroom is a community waiting to be built. For ArtWell Teaching Artist Jason H.S. Nadelbaum, that begins with a simple but powerful practice: validating every student's identity, language, and lived experience. When we make room for the many ways young people show up in a space and resist assuming there's one "default" way to belong, we create classrooms where everyone has the opportunity to feel seen.

As a professional arts educator, Jason has taught students of all ages, on topics ranging from poetry to playwriting, comic books to improv comedy, middle school wrestling, to adult English as a Learned Language. He most recently served as Education Manager for First Person Art's VIP Storytelling Program, helping students harness their voice and their narratives.

In his first year with ArtWell, Jason reminds us that community isn't something we find. It's something we create, one act of recognition at a time. Because when every voice has a place, everyone belongs.

06/16/2026

What an inspiring week of creativity, connection, and artistic exploration! During the 2026 Poetry & Art Show exhibit week, ArtWell welcomed creatives of all ages to a series of free workshops at The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design, surrounded by powerful poetry and artwork created by talented K–12 students from across Philadelphia.

Throughout the week, participants explored collage-making with Destiny Crockett during Lyrical Fragments, transforming poetry into visual art through abstract and figurative compositions. At Artbreak with ArtWell, attendees created vibrant fabric mosaic collages using textiles, paint markers, and thread. During The Art of Roses, led by Essence McCants, participants learned the art of reflexing roses and designed stunning embellished bouquets. The series concluded with The Ekphrastic Eye: Writing After Art, where writers and artists explored the relationship between visual art and poetry, creating original work inspired by the exhibit.

Thank you to our incredible workshop facilitators, participants, and everyone who helped make this week so special. We loved seeing our community come together to create, connect, and be inspired by the brilliance of Philadelphia’s young artists.

06/11/2026

What a day. What a room. What a reminder of what’s possible when young people are given the space to create. Our annual Poetry & Art Show filled the Galleries at Moore with color, courage, imagination, and stories that linger long after the final applause. From striking visual art to powerful poetry, every piece invited us to see the world through a new lens.

We were especially honored to share the afternoon with feature poet Yolanda Wisher, whose words moved through the space like music, Youth Poet Laurette Rashawn Dorsey, who performed alongside friends, and an amazing group of student performers.

To everyone who attended, supported, cheered, volunteered, and celebrated our students: thank you. You helped create an afternoon where creativity wasn't just displayed, it was alive.

Click here to learn more and help us continue creating spaces where young voices can be heard, seen, and celebrated. https://www.theartwell.org/