Topping our own creative ideas

I recently sat down with Anna Yu, Artists For Humanity (AFH’s) Executive Director, to hear more about ‘the why’ behind AFH’s upcoming and unusual annual fundraiser—Artopia. Joining AFH in 2022, as its first non-founding Executive Director after 33 years of a pioneering mission and visionary founder, Anna was challenged to reimagine AFH’s much looked-forward-to annual fundraiser. In keeping with AFH’s mighty mission and boundless creativity, Anna recognized the challenge, “I think the biggest challenge, honestly, has been how do we top our own creative ideas? Last year's launch of Artopia I think was incredibly engaging, and folks were talking about the event afterwards. The beautiful thing about AFH is the constant innovation and creativity, and how we continually challenge ourselves to make it bigger and more engaging. How do we keep creating the WOW! factor so that our community and advocates already start anticipating next year’s Artopia by the end of the night—and who they are going to invite!”

With a history of working at both corporations and nonprofits, Anna described how the old galas and dinners are a thing of the past, with for profit corporate partners and individual givers looking for more meaningful ways to engage. She shared, “I think that's the evolution you're gonna start to see in fundraising events. It is less about an opportunity to throw a ‘crazy’ party—though we know how to do that—but much more about the meaning behind the mission and work. How are we using this fundraising event as an opportunity to tell those really meaningful stories for people to truly understand what we do and the impact of their giving?”

At Artopia, guests experience AFH’s mission first hand through the amazing artwork and immersive experiences created by teen artists and designers, showing how truly capable young people are if guided by a mentor, and given tools, real responsibility, and a voice. For Anna, that's the lens that AFH applies when envisioning Artopia’s non-traditional fundraising event each year.

With so many nonprofit galas competing for limited engagement and funds, it is not easy to capture the hearts of the giving community. For AFH, it’s all about its truely unique mission. “Even after three decades, we know that this unparalleled, hybrid business model supporting creative employment and wages for teens is a very real world-based initiative with long-term impact. I think people understand that [by giving] they're creating opportunities that are remarkable. It is unusual for teens to be sitting at the table in a corporate boardroom. As a teenager, it is unusual to be given a platform to pitch their idea. It is unusual for their voices to be amplified, elevated, and showcased, both in corporate spaces and in public art.”

Teen Designer turned Alumna Kayla Dinh and her graphic mural installation at Boston Community Pediatrics (L). Teen artists and designers with their exhibition commissioned by BXP for The Exchange at 100 Federal St. in Boston (R).

Young people are an integral part of the community. They are the future workforce. Anna explained how corporations and communities benefit from giving, “I think corporations, or frankly anyone who will be an employer in the future, will benefit from a creative, problem solving, and collaborative pool of entry level professionals as they will be armed with all the right skills. By investing in young people now, they're investing even in their own futures, while building equity in the workforce.”

Artopia is a ticketed event, this year with both a pre-event benefactor dinner and a main event, which invites you into an immersive digital landscape where event goers will explore the connections between the natural landscape we are rooted in and the evolving digital world we navigate in our 21st century world. The AFH team works diligently to fill the seats at Artopia’s benefactor dinner, when a teen artist and a mentor will take to the stage with their inspiring stories, encircled by an expansive two-story sale of their artwork. The main event that follows fills the AFH EpiCenter with culinary delights, drinks, dancing, and non-stop immersive and interactive art.

But revenue from ticket sales is not enough, and AFH relies on our dedicated and generous sponsors. Anna shared, “I think one of the really amazing things about sponsorship versus just buying a ticket is that it is a public commitment by our corporate partners—and even some individuals—which is mutually beneficial. Our sponsors invest in their community and it provides a meaningful story to tell. Many of our sponsors not only invest in us philanthropically, but they're often clients as well. Becoming a sponsor is another powerful way for them to inspire others to invest in our future workforce—a diversified, creative team needed for a better future.”

Artopia is a big production! And it takes a dedicated team with a vivid imagination and a can-do attitude. What drives Anna and the AFH team to keep topping up each year is hearing the community say—who will I invite to join me next year? “That's really the sentiment we're going after, for every year is going to be different. Every year is going to be immersive. And every year has to be a bigger and compelling installation that no one else is doing, and that people can truly look forward to.”

The conversation ended at the beginning—with the origin of Artopia. “Artopia’s name was intentional. It plays off of the word utopia, creating an incredibly positive tone to our event. There's a sort of magic to it that feels very much like who AFH is as an organization. And we need and are grateful for our partners and community who have the vision to invest in the power of creativity—in our young people, in AFH, as it strives to build a better and more equitable world.”

Please join AFH for the pre-event, the main event, or both, and experience Artopia first hand. Or deepen your engagement by becoming a sponsor or donating to become a part of something meaningful. Get your tickets and learn more here!