Using the Arts to Bridge Racial and Cultural Divisions

The Community Arts department at Focus: HOPE was established in 1995 as part of a national initiative sponsored by the Ford Foundation. Focus: HOPE was one of eight sites throughout the nation funded to institute arts and cultural programming into its community services. The result has been a number of successful initiatives that use the arts to promote understanding of different races, religions and cultures.

The major arts initiatives include:

• Focus on the Mission brings together urban and suburban teenages for discussions and a photography project in which they photograph ethnic and cultural areas of Detroit. Their striking black and white photos are compiled into an exhibit that is displayed throughout the area.

• Focus: HOPE EXCEL was a continuous three-year photography program created with a grant awarded from The Skillman Foundation. The program consisted of diverse 9th grade students from area high schools and professional photographers who served as mentors and instructors.

• Focus: HOPE Gallery is the site of rotating art exhibits. Located on the second floor of our Center for Advanced Technologies, the gallery is open daily. Guests are invited to stop by during normal working hours.