ARTPLAST ART ACADEMY
Hope Through Creative Expression
ArtPlast Art Academy is a Guatemalan founded and led art ministry that provides training in drawing and painting to children, teenagers and adults in rural communities with little to no access to extracurricular activities.
Through art training, ArtPlast holistically serves their students mentally and spiritually.
They believe that when students unlock their creativity, they can dream. And when they can dream, they no longer have to feel trapped by the poverty that surrounds them.
And more than art, they teach students about the Creator Himself — God. Each art class is centered around a devotional for this purpose.
WHY AN ART ACADEMY?
ArtPlast provides a skill but is also a tool for evangelism, therapy and supplemental income.
After-school programs are almost nonexistent in rural Guatemala. Most children spend their days roaming the streets often getting into trouble or are forced to help their parents work in the afternoons — particularly in the dangerous industry of making fireworks.
The few after-school programs that do exist are only located in the most developed center of municipalities. Most children do not have the time, money or access to get to the center of their municipality, which is the equivalent of a US county.
That’s why this program was implemented in two remote areas of two different municipalities.
One Art Academy is located in Cerro Alto, San Juan Sacatepequez and the other is located in our girls school, Liberty Christian Academy, in Pamoca, San Raymundo.
The children in these villages love attending the Art Academy because they don’t have many stimulating options for entertainment.
THE 3 PRIMARY HOLISTIC PURPOSES OF THE ART ACADEMY
The three primary holistic purposes of ArtPlast are:
Evangelism: Not only are they creating art but they are teaching students about the Creator Himself — God. Each art class is centered around a devotional for this purpose.
Therapy: Art is a creative outlet that provides therapy for children and adults who have endured trauma and live in dire situations.
Higher income: If a student sells one painting or is hired to paint a mural, they will automatically make 4x’s more than what they would earn making fireworks in a week.
HOW IT WORKS
ArtPlast offers 2.5 hour art classes three days a week at their two locations. Each Academy has one teacher and the capacity to host 20+ students.
Art Academy leadership is 100% volunteer and does not receive a salary. However, both teachers receive a humble salary for their 7.5 hours of teaching per week.
Teachers are selected for their charisma, skill and love for children.
There are many art professionals in the area, but it’s important to ArtPlast that they hire only those who can teach effectively while showing the love of Christ to students.
HOW IT STARTED
ArtPlast Art Academy was founded by our very own Heyson Martinez and his cousin, Bryan Martinez in 2019.
Heyson Martinez
Bryan Martinez
Heyson was working as an art teacher in a local private school and organized an art exposition to showcase the art of his students to their families and the community.
After seeing the hard work of his students and the joy it brought the community, Heyson knew that all children in San Raymundo deserved the same opportunity that was allotted to these children at the private school.
So together with his cousin, Bryan, ArtPlast Art Academy was created to serve low-income families.
Currently, Heyson serves as ArtPlast’s Director of Operations and Bryan serves as one of ArtPlast’s two teachers.
WHERE IT’S GOING
With the support of CEIBA VIDA, ArtPlast hopes to open more Academies in new rural locations and aspires to create a small museum and warehouse space for students to showcase & sell their art.
Each year the number of art students and people interested in the community increases.
ArtPlast hopes to grow their funding, training and staff so they can open new Art Academies in more rural locations to bring holistic art therapy to more people in need.
Additionally, they aspire to one day open a small warehouse where their students can showcase and sell their creations to generate extra income for their families.
It is also planned to have a small art museum, so that students from the school and other institutions can appreciate the work carried out by the Academy.
GET INVOLVED!
If you are interested in learning more about our partnership with ArtPlast Art Academy, click the contact us button below.
Keep up with ArtPlast news and events by following them on Facebook. You can also come visit and volunteer with them in Guatemala!
If you would like to support ArtPlast financially, click the donate button below and select “Art Academy” in the purpose dropdown menu.
100% of donations go directly to purchasing art supplies, paying art teachers or covering transportation for staff and volunteers.