05 Feb Home is Where the Art Is: YAYA Builds New Arts Center in Central City
The YAYA Youth Arts Organization announced this past September that it would be getting a new home in Central City. Representatives and partnering organizations held a groundbreaking ceremony at that time for the $1.3 million project at 3316 LaSalle Street. The powerhouse team bringing the center to life is Harmony Neighborhood Development, Bild Design, and Landis Construction Company. AOS signed on to sponsor the YAYA Think Tank, where the artist-led staff will design and manage the various YAYA programs, so we were very excited to receive word that construction is underway and on time.
Since 1988, YAYA has been recognized for providing instruction and mentorship to those with little or no access to art education. A new center means hope for a new generation of artists and the strengthening of quality art programming in our city. Tulane University architecture professor Byron Mouton has designed the space with an expected completion date of June 2015. Design features include a glass studio, a woodworking shop, an eco-arts garden, a community space, a hot glass studio, a media lab, and a gallery space. All of these functions will allow the facility to perform with ease, creating the stable and consolidated home YAYA has always yearned for.
Shelby E. Russ, AOS President and CEO, has long-standing association with YAYA having proudly sat on the YAYA Board of Directors since 2006. His involvement serves as a constant reminder to us all that new ways of thinking, working, and communicating can evolve through collaborating with the creative minds in the arts.
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