User talk:NuzzyFavel

Youth Arts Collective was created on January 15th, 2000 by artists Meg Biddle and Marcia Perry. It is a nonprofit, after-school art studio for ages 14-22 located on 550 Hartnell Street in Monterey, California of the United States. Youth Arts Collective (or YAC as it is commonly known, with YACsters being those who attend it) was developed so that local young adults had a mentored studio in which to discover and advance their artistic abilities. The structure of YAC is free and unscheduled, unlike a class in that there are no set projects or mediums that one must use, although help is given if needed and there are specified open hours.

Mission
Besides providing a place for young adults to get away to focus on their art, YAC takes pride in their ability to provide a foothold for blooming artists to succeed in the professional world by having the proper tools, knowledgeable mentors, and a culturally diverse and friendly environment comprising of students from eight local high schools, independent studies, and three local colleges. Added to this, students are regularly benefiting from a wide variety of scholarships, apprenticeships, and part-time jobs offered to them due to their involvement and recognition through YAC. Through these opportunities many YACsters are able to spread awareness about their talents to the public and are given a better chance to succeed on a professional level.

Founders
Both founders of Youth Arts Collective have a strong past of artistic experience and work that is often called upon, sometimes to help determine the perspective of a painting or often an opinion on color choice. Whatever the need, they are almost always available to lend helpful and constructive advice.

For twenty-seven years Meg Biddle and Marcia Perry have been partners in Biddle Perry Studios, creating numerous murals, cartoons, illustrations, paintings, and product designs not only for local consumption, but also various schools and magazines, and even international publishing. While both founders have a wide array of talents in using different mediums, each displays a partiality to a certain aspect of the art world.

Receiving a [[Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts]] from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1973, Meg Biddle is the Program Director of YAC and works mainly as a professional illustrator with a heavy focus on the education and health care industries, often adding humor into her pieces. Showing alone and with others, she has displayed art all across the U.S. in Denver, Philadelphia, Palm Beach, and Monterey. As well as illustrating for multiple magazines such as Pulse for fifteen years, Meg Biddle also teaches workshops on humorous illustration, portfolio, and art business at the local Monterey High School Art Academy.

Also since 1973, co-founder and Executive Director of YAC Marcia Perry was self-taught her profession and works as a freelance artist. With a central focus on the airbrush medium, she applies her talents not only to fine paintings, but murals, illustrations, and product designs as well. Along with the licensing of some of these products, galleries from Colorado to Hawaii, California and Florida have sold her work, with some of her illustrations published internationally. Like her partner, she has taken the knowledge of her specialty to teach classes on airbrushing at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver.

Requirements and Specifics
Youth Arts Collective is open on Tuesday through Friday from 3-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 12-4 p.m. For a monthly fee to pay for various studio supply costs, the artists are free to use any and all materials within YAC which includes extensive use of the supplies of the drawing, painting, film, and computer rooms, as well as the option to display their pieces in the Youth Arts Collective Gallery at the entrance. Selling one's art requires 30% of all proceeds to go to YAC, leaving the artist with 70% of their earnings (considerably more profitable for the artist than most galleries). To date, there have been nearly 200 artists to find a home within YAC's paint splattered walls with new members still arriving every couple months.

Supplies & Support
Although supplies for Youth Arts Collective are bought partially through grants the monthly fee and YAC's percentage from gallery sales, much of the canvases, film, brushes and materials are donated to the studios from organizations as well as many generous individuals. Besides materials, YAC is also donated operating expenses by foundations and the community.

Events
So far in 2007, Youth Arts Collective has had two shows in the Monterey Museum of Art as well as a show at the Pacific Grove Art Center in celebration of YAC's 7th year anniversary.

Additional Staff
Working with the director/founders is a staff and a board of directors who help sustain and maintain Youth Arts Collective. The board consists of: • Robert Kandell, President, Business Owner/Photographer • Bonnie Lewtschuk, President-Elect, Businesswoman with extensive community involvement • Diane Bower, Secretary, Retired Design Professor at MPC • Karen Bekker, Treasurer, Accountant, YACster Parent • Michael Weesner, Retired Photography and Video Teacher at MHS • Nathan Fuentes, Executive Director of Non Profit Organization, YACster Parent • Wilda Northrop, Artist, Member American Water Color Society • Carol Weesner, Teacher, Principal, Assistant to Superintendent MPUSD Additional Staff: • Michelle Arnold, Fundraising/Marketing Director—provides development assistance for several nonprofits in Monterey and Santa Clara Counties with a background in agricultural marketing, and a BA in Communication from UC San Diego. • Amelia Simuneck, Directors Assistant—Graduated from Pepperdine University with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts with extensive skills in administration duties and mentoring.

Related Links

 * Website of co-founder Meg Biddle


 * Website of co-founder Marcia Perry

AfD nomination of Youth Arts Collective
I have nominated Youth Arts Collective, an article you created, for deletion. I do not feel that this article satisfies Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion, and have explained why at Articles for deletion/Youth Arts Collective. Your opinions on the matter are welcome at that same discussion page; also, you are welcome to edit the article to address these concerns. Thank you for your time. Travellingcari (talk) 04:54, 23 February 2008 (UTC)