The Sunnyvale Sun

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Heart of Kids showcases work of young artists

By Emilie Crofton

Anthony Mingus, an artist and Sunnyvale resident, has big plans for the future. As founder of Heart of Kids, a new youth art program, he wants to reach out to as many four- to 15-year-old students as possible. He hopes to inspire their artistic talents and showcase their work at community exhibits, an impressive goal considering Anthony, who is 9-years-old.

Since March, the fourth-grader at Bishop Elementary School has been working hard to recruit young artists into Heart of Kids, part of the artisan collective Heart of Chaos. Both groups receive financial support from the nonprofit Catalyst for Youth, which has programs to help youth become positive and contributing members of society.

"It's a chance for kids to have fun with art. "They can be creative and express themselves without having adults telling them what they can or can't draw," Anthony says.

"Here they can share their artwork with others and get free exposure. They can even become famous."

Lacey Bryant, an artist with Heart of Chaos, says Anthony's program is a great opportunity for young aspiring artists.

"What Anthony has done is fantastic. These days a lot of schools are not able to fund art programs anymore, so it's been really important that someone pick that up," she says.

The program also promotes art as a form of therapy for children who need a way to express emotions that they may not understand.

"Art is a way of communication and dialogue," Bryant, 26, says. "Things that are hard to say with words, you can say through a picture."

Like Heart of Chaos, Heart of Kids also aims to keep youth and teens off the streets and into a hobby.

"It gives kids another option so they won't get into trouble," says Jen Sluga, Anthony's mother. "Too many kids are going to jail. If they had something like this to keep them occupied, half of those kids wouldn't be there."

Joanne Hobbs, founder of Catalyst for Youth and co-founder of Heart of Chaos, says Heart of Kids epitomizes what her programs are all about: It is not only a form of therapy; it's empowerment.

"It's a natural desire to be seen and have your creativity and worthiness witnessed by the community," says Hobbs. Anthony says it was Hobbs and his mother, who helps promote and run Heart of Chaos, who have inspired him. When he told Hobbs about his idea to start Heart of Kids back in January, she knew it had to become a reality.

"Art is vital to children's lives, to the blossoming of their creativity and self worth," Hobbs says.

Anthony's ultimate goal is for Heart of Kids to have its own community center, with programs and exhibits of children's art.

Anthony's efforts with the youth program have just begun. Upcoming events include the second annual Chalk Art Festival on June 14 at Gardner Community Center in San Jose.

For more information or to get involved, visit heartofchaos.net or www.catalystforyouth.org, or contact Jen Sluga at jen@heartofchaos .net.