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

Hi Trisha, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
The Art Shine Foundation is a global, youth-led nonprofit organization combining service and activism with artwork. We focus on impact-based art advocacy to drive social change and awareness in order to benefit communities and improve lives.

We have launched several initiatives since the launch of ASF in April 2020. Our Black Lives Matter Gallery, which we curated last year, advocated for marginalized communities and racial inclusivity. We received work from youth contributors across the nation, their messages resonating with not only the ASF community, but with hundreds of people around the world.

Additionally, we run a feature program, which has highlighted the work of 15+ youth artivists so far. We allow youth creators, from Hungary to India, to share their artmaking experiences, whether it is writing poetry, taking photographs, or creating digital art. Through this ongoing project, we are not only able to promote diversity in the art world, but we can also give creators from diverse ethnicities and backgrounds a platform to share their incredible work.

Our largest initiative, the Glimmer of Hope Project, aided senior citizens. We fundraised $1,000 in 2 weeks, and delivered 550 cards, 400 masks, 250 food items, 80 books, gloves, and several craft kits to 8 facilities across 4 states. The elderly community is extremely vulnerable, both to the virus, and the mental health challenges of not being able to see their loved ones. Through this initiative, we helped support and protect 550+ seniors nationwide.

Just recently, we launched a magazine pairing feminism and artivism together. FeminArt is the first magazine of its kind, a culmination of creative expression demonstrating to the world how powerful, beautiful, and strong women are, regardless of their race, size, or sexual orientation. Complete with feminism-themed artwork, creative writing, articles, interviews, and art resources, our 80-page magazine received submissions from contributors representing 18 US states and 7 countries and has amassed 1.5K+ views thus far.

To date, we have reached 2,000+ young artists, allies, and activists from around the world through our initiatives, partnered and collaborated with 10+ NGOs and Nonprofit Organizations to make our projects a reality, and built a social media network consisting of 3,000+ viewers and followers. We also recently launched a Gen Z Artist Discord community in order to provide youth creators with a larger space to share their work and collaborate.

Currently, we are working on setting up art workshops to support underprivileged students who have limited access to arts education, and we will be launching more galleries and fundraisers in the near future to support disadvantaged communities. Together, the ASF community has been able to advocate for equality, facilitate open, constructive discussion, and positively impact peoples’ lives.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve been an art enthusiast since I was young, but high school was when I first started utilizing art to empower others and advocate for issues I believed in, labelling myself an artivist. I would send motivational artwork to friends who were going through difficult challenges to uplift them and started selling my artwork in order to fundraise for food banks supporting families in need due to Covid-19. When I started seeing the tangible impact of my work on others, I realized that art could be used as a powerful tool to support communities, raise awareness for pressing issues, and touch people’s hearts.

Wanting to get more youth involved in artivism and create an even greater, global impact, I established The Art Shine Foundation, but implementing my idea was daunting at first. I didn’t know how to create a team from scratch and lead people I’d never spoken to before, or navigate a newly virtual landscape. However, my commitment toward artivism pushed me to build my way up.

Initially, I thought it would be impossible to start and maintain an organization as large as ASF. But over time, I have realized that with enough research and hard work, it is possible to make anything a reality. Though starting and scaling ASF took many all-nighters and a lot of green tea, it has been totally worth it in the end. Being a good maker is incredibly fulfilling, and knowing that I’m able to make a positive impact on others around me is what truly gives my life purpose.

Through ASF, I’ve united youth around the world through art and leveraged our talents to incite change. Creating and being part of such a talented community of artists has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m hoping to take everything that I’ve learned with me as I continue my journey through college and beyond.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d go to Pike Place Market, watch fish being thrown around, ride the Ferris wheel, then grab a bite to eat at the Pink Door. I’d then drag them with me to go hiking on the beautiful trails of Mount Rainier, and we’d visit Leavenworth next. The PNW is filled with lakes, waterfalls, beaches, and parks, so we’d go visit as much as our tired feet would let us wander: Lake Chelan and Diablo Lake, then Snoqualmie and Twin falls, Olympic National Park, you name it! When we’re tired of walking, we’ll head over to Bellevue Square or Kirkland Waterfront to watch the sunset. They better be a nature-lover.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to extend a thank you to my parents for believing in me, Kiara Nguyen for nominating me, my female mentors for supporting me, and the entire ASF team for giving me the motivation to wake up every day and continue making a difference in the world.

Website: artshinefoundation.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artshinefoundation/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-art-shine-foundation

Twitter: https://twitter.com/asfnonprofitorg

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

Other: Discord: https://discord.gg/srrQdtz2zU
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/artivize
STEAMivism: tinyurl.com/steamivism

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA 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.