We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Blankenship and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Yeah, Art! was created in response to the pandemic and the technological barriers between arts education and distanced learning. The challenges of conducting arts instruction over ZOOM meetings was nearly impossible, due to audio latency issues and hardware and network limitations. A group of creatives came together with this idea to create arts curriculum that’s optimized for the distanced learning. Focusing on subjects that are largely rooted in tech giving our students exposure to newer career pathways in the arts. As the pandemic ended and schools began re-opening, we saw an opportunity to bring our curriculum and “Big Kid” teaching style into physical classrooms where we now offer programming in voice, songwriting, music production, 3D modeling, dance, photography and more. We also conduct art wellness workshops for educators who teach other subjects outside of art as a way to help them connect more with their inner creativity and gives them tools that helps them better connect with their students via art.

Our mission; Arts education for a new generation.

Yeah, Art! is a Black-founded nonprofit making arts education more inclusive, accessible and relevant. We fill a need in our home base of Oakland, California, where schools faced a $33.5 million in budget cuts in 2021, following $25 million in cuts in 2020. Arts programs are often the first to be sacrificed in these cuts. Yeah, Art! provides an accessible solution to keep art in classrooms, with a focus in the low-income districts that need our services the most.

Being products of traditional Arts education, Yeah, Art!’s belief is that modern arts education is still not diverse enough. Across history, text books have erased the contributions of people of color. This is glaringly apparent in arts education, with European artists and western conventions being celebrated as the ideal. Yeah, Art! centers the work of underrepresented artists, exposing the next generation to new creative heroes.

Lastly, you can’t be what you can’t see. Yeah, Art! is powered by a tight group of artists and educators primarily of color, dedicated to making arts education more equitable.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Our team at Yeah, Art! recognized that arts education needed a serious refresh. Sure, a ‘C’ chord is still a ‘C’ chord. An 8-count is still eight counts. Red and blue still make purple. But we have to acknowledge the gap between conventional arts education and our students that’s growing wider every year. Yeah, Art! modernizes arts education to reflect today’s culture, technology and most importantly — our students.

In our brief history, Yeah, Art! has achieved a more success than we could have ever imagined. 2022 was our pilot launch year with our pilot programs launched in 2023. Some of our proud accomplishments include:

– Multiple programs in Oakland Unified School District, including vocal performance, songwriting, music production, music appreciation, photography and 3D modeling. Reaching over 150 Oakland students.

– Creative projects like “It Was All A Dream” and “Dream City,” though which we teach students how to artistically envision the future using modern art technologies like XR, spacial audio and 3D Modeling.

– Partnerships with organizations including Microsoft and The Golden State Warriors, through which we provided educator wellness workshops that helped teachers connect with their inner child and provided them with tools to help them connect with their students.

– Yeah, Art! was featured on NBC’s “Play It Forward” docuseries. On our episode, Yeah, Art! taught the Harlem Globetrotters a that music is everywhere. Our students collaborated with the Globetrotters to compose a new theme song for the team, using only non-musical instruments.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Mentor:

Silvester Henderson is a professor of music who recently retired after 30 years as the department chair of music at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, California. He’s been a mentor of mine for 20+ years and taught me everything I know about being a professional within the arts and in life in general.

Yeah, Art!:

Ja Ronn Thompson (Co-Founder – Executive Director) Our history goes back 20 years as students at San Francisco State University. We started the SFSU Gospel Choir (Gospel Gators) which has been a huge success and still a class taught by Ja Ronn today. The choir is approaching it’s 20th year anniversary in 2024.

Other Yeah, Art! Co-Founders – Madeline Lambie, Angel Adedokun and Craig Johnson

Website: yeahart.org

Instagram: @yeahart_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/70513567/admin/feed/posts/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/YeahArt_

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yeahartschool/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yeahart_

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.