About

About Us:

The Artists and Activism Youth Gallery is a nonprofit that highlights youth voices through art, providing a platform for young artists to share their work. The gallery was built by Mila Ansorge for students, artists and teens unified by a passion for activism and art. We are inspired to spread awareness and promote art as an expression of culture, life, and peaceful demonstration.

Through art and creativity, artists can communicate their perspectives, spark conversations, engage communities, and create a sense of solidarity around a shared cause. Art in its many forms such as, 2d, 3d, sculpture, photography and more, can be a powerful form of resistance, challenge dominant narratives, and raise awareness about issues that may be marginalized or ignored by mainstream media.

From our Founder: Mila Ansorge

“Art has always been a primary passion in my life but it has also helped serve as an outlet to deal with difficult situations and allowed me to tell my stories. Art tells the truth and it touches emotions in ways that other mediums can’t.”

“When I was 14, I was verbally sexualized and objectified by a group of students in my class that I thought were my friends. I felt very isolated and didn’t want to talk about it with my family or my other friends. I created art to express how I felt and deal with the emotional struggle. Months later my friend stumbled across my piece when she was visiting. It sparked a conversation and allowed me to open up and find out that she too faced a similar issue. I wasn’t alone.

After we found each other, other girls started to come out with very similar experiences and it united us. We eliminated the shame and isolation we were dealing with and came together to resist. I learned that I could bring issues that affect and move me, to light and bring us closer to stopping them. It prompted me to think about how I can make an impact and use art as tool for activism. So I decided to create AAYG, a gallery to unify teens and raise awareness around pressing issues we face in our society today.”

Our mission is to provide an opportunity for young artists to share their art and use it as a powerful tool for activism, by promoting awareness, building community and driving transformative change. - AAY Gallery

How Do We Fulfill Our Mission?

AAYG’s main concern is raising awareness and bringing together targeted groups and victims. Our main mission is to use art as a form of activism and us it to bring an issue to light.
We are inspired to spread awareness and promote art as an expression of culture, life, and peaceful demonstration. We hope to educate people about the issues that our partners and artists fight for. By sparking conversations and promoting support for these causes we push for change.
AAY gallery exhibitions are created through the collaboration of student artists and curators. We collaborate with students from different New York City Schools, both public and private, and for more information look under “Artists.”
Half of the proceeds earned through in-person and online exhibitions go to the supported non-profit organization. Learn more about the foundations we partner with below.