Open Studio Process as a Model of Social Action: A Program for At-Risk Youth

Abstract

The Open Studio Project (OSP) is a nonprofit arts and social service organization. This report presents the OSP process as a model of social action. It describes how the model was implemented in a particular community to address a need for arts programs for at-risk youth. "Art & Action," an outreach program of OSP, became a unique year-round afterschool and summer program that catered to the diverse needs of the participating youth. The advocacy efforts that emerged from the OSP method of using intention, artmaking, witness-writing, and sharing, along with no commenting and no forced participation, are presented. Its relevance to the field of art therapy and the implications for practice are also considered.