Our Mission
Inspiring Social Justice Through Artistic Collaboration
By sharing our stories and creating a common artistic expression —MAPS strives to bring people together in an effort to heal the historical narratives that divide us by race, class, gender, sexuality and so much more.
The language, culture, and lived experiences of each student group is enhanced by the other through the marriage of poetry, music and visual arts. With this, they forge bonds that are long-lasting, educational and deeply moving for all involved.
In our increasingly hectic and driven world, it’s challenging for youth to feel heard and to find ways to express themselves. MAPS helps by giving them a voice through poetry, music, visual arts and a shared experience. We hope to spark creativity and ignite a passion for human connection through artistic expression.
When I think about how best to make the world a better place, I think about our students and opportunities for them. How can we bring them together to share their deepest feelings; joy, sadness, anger, love, fear, happiness, insecurity, loneliness, etc. without fear of retribution or judgement? There are three art forms that allow for total freedom of expression: Poetry, Music and Visual Art! They allow our students to create whatever they feel and share those feelings with each other and the world. When writing either poetry or music or creating visual art, a student can fly – fly wherever they want. There are no bounds to conform to other than of their own making. Putting the three art forms together through the MAPS program leads to a magical student convening of creativity, collaboration, community and learning.
-Tom Willits
Executive Director
Testimonials
“From MAPS I gained a variety of skills, which I can apply both within my future musical experiences and all future life experiences. A very key element given to me from the program was the life skill of sharing and building upon other ideas.
Mason Cheek
MAPS introduced my own poetry to me in a different way. The performers carried my voice in their own way using my same exact tone. I'm glad they were able to interpret my emotions and put it in a song, only to make the waves of emotion stronger. There's just something about a melody and the right words to ignite so many different emotions, even if it's my own piece.
Leyden Sanchez
"The music aspect of it is kind of like...pick some chords, throw them together on a keyboard or guitar...then start adding harmonies, and that's about it. It's like writing any other song–just with words that aren't your own."
Scarlet Ayliz