Every participant gets a job and a paintbrush
Youth research and select the issue, work with subject-matter experts to understand it, then take on a real role — ambassador, coordinator, fundraiser, scout — with visible responsibility.
501(c)(3) nonprofit · since 1989
Help them dream in color!
You give them the canvas — they'll do the rest.
I am…
380+projectscompleted since 1989as reported in CITYarts' FY26 grant filings
100,000+youthhave made work with CITYartsas reported by CITYarts across four organizational documents
600+artistsprofessional artists collaborated withas reported in CITYarts' Organizational History
80%+of participantsfrom underserved BIPOC communities or economically disadvantagedas reported in CITYarts' FY26 grant filings
Those numbers are made of gallons of paint, boxes of pencils and tiles. Pick one.
Give nowIn their words
One kid at a time
CITYarts is usually described in totals — projects, youth, neighborhoods. The totals are real. But nobody was ever changed by a total.
How it works
Three things that happen on every project
Art becomes the conversation where words are not enough
A mural or a mosaic says what words may not be able to convey. It sparks dialogue locally between youth and neighbors — and globally, where murals on opposite sides of the world speak to the same theme.
A sustained practice, not a one-off
Not a single workshop or a single grant cycle — a sustained creative practice, project by project, that changes a young person's trajectory and leaves a lasting mark on their community.
Start where you are
Whoever you are, there is a way in
ParticipantsBecome an apprentice.You pick what the piece is about, work beside a professional artist, and hold a real role on the project -- coordinator, ambassador, scout. The wall stays up after you leave.Join a project →VolunteersHelp us bring our work to life.No art background needed. Prep walls, set tiles, keep a site running, feed a crew. Come for one Saturday or for a whole season.Volunteer →ArtistsGive your craft a new meaning.You lead the making and the young people shape what it says. Murals and mosaics that stay in the neighborhood they came from, credited and documented.Work with us →SponsorsSponsor a wall.Private donors, corporations and foundations, and government agencies. Your gift buys materials, an artist's time, and the staff who hold a project together — and you can see exactly what it paid for.Gift now →EducatorsBring a project to your school.CITYarts brings the artist, the materials and the method into your school. Your students do the research, the design and the making. Over 1,400 schools and community partners have run one.Start a project →
Meet the founder
When kids create, they don't destroy — they inspire us all.
They transform blank walls into beacons of hope, neglected spaces into vibrant landmarks, and their own futures into new possibilities.
Founder, Executive & Creative Director
Join us. Invest in their imagination. Dare to make a difference.
Hear more from TsipiTake action
Six ways in
Stay in touch
Stay in touch with us.
A mural takes a season. We will tell you when this one is finished, and we will not sell your address to anyone, ever.