Who are we?
Inspiration Fine Arts is a nonprofit organization with the goal to reach all parts of the community and provide an arts education to anybody interested. We strive to reach students, as students, who are under-represented in the arts world due to class affordability, availability or lack of exposure to the arts in schools. We emphasize the importance of youth empowerment in the arts and want to spread the influence of the arts world.
How we started.
Inspiration Fine Arts started as a charitable dance camp for underprivileged kids in the Houston area. Our founders noticed the financial strain the top-tier arts classes put on low-income families and decided to make a change. After two years of a successful camp, our founders decided to expand our one week charitable dance camp into a year round, nonprofit organization where all students have access to an arts education, in person and online.
Our Impact.
IFA has been able to bring dance and fine arts to over 200 students in the Houston area through our synchronous and in-person classes, over 1000 artists through our online videos, and strive to reach many more!
Our Goals and What We're Doing to Reach Them.
Community Engagement
Our main goal is to provide arts education to students that can not afford it or do not have available resources. Since 2017, we have been hosting a free dance camp that provides top-tier dance education, food, and transportation if needed. Due to COVID-19, we have been providing that summer camp through online classes that include all arts forms and have recently expanded to include year-long art courses. In addition to that, we have partnered with local organizations like St. Lukes Gethsemane Church, Opt for Action, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Women Inspiring Social Harmony to provide after-school dance classes. IFA hosts an annual speakers series, inviting accomplished artists and leaders in the community to share their experiences as path-makers in their art, giving hope to low-income and under-served children.
Summer 2021, IFA will be hosting synchronous online courses for students and continue posting on the YouTube channel for students who are unable to join.
Summer 2021, IFA will be hosting synchronous online courses for students and continue posting on the YouTube channel for students who are unable to join.
Cultural Awareness
At IFA, we emphasized the importance of cultural awareness and knowledge. We have taken the initiative to teach students dances from many different cultures at our dance camp and every Friday release videos teaching about new traditional dances. Some have included, Bollywood dance, Chinese Traditional Dance, a Latin Dance class including Bachata, African Dance, K-Pop dance and much more. We work towards creating a diverse community that all of our students can feel comfortable in. At IFA we celebrate activism week, the last week of June every summer, by putting out videos commemorating LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities.
Activism
The largest part of IFA is the social well-being of the community. IFA partners with Women Inspiring Social Harmony. WISH is an organization that advocates for women's rights through summer programs and mentorships for underprivileged middle school girls. In addition, 15% of proceeds from donations and class videos go to a different charity every three months. You can find the charity information on our social media channels. In addition, IFA is working towards creating a community that supports other communities. In addition, we use our social media platforms to give voices to celebrate artists and communities through take-overs and features. With Opt for Action America, we have hosted an annual Advocacy and Art event, showcasing students' works of arts that represent a cause they fight for.
Personal Well-being
For many students art is more than just a hobby, it is a coping mechanism and a way to better themselves. At Inspiration Fine Arts, we cultivate these aspects of artistry by providing nutrition and creativity classes. We also facilitate our courses with an open and safe environment when students and staff are free to share their thoughts and feelings.
