New Urban Arts

For many young people in Providence, access to arts education depends on whether creative spaces feel safe, consistent, and welcoming. At New Urban Arts, the White Family Foundation’s partnership since 2016 has played a vital role in sustaining programs that provide stability, mentorship, and opportunity for youth who might otherwise lack access to the arts.

The Foundation’s consistent support helps ensure that New Urban Arts can offer uninterrupted, high-quality programming rooted in creative exploration and community connection. This stability has been especially critical during a period of funding uncertainty, as federal support—often a significant portion of the organization’s budget—has been frozen or placed at risk. Long-standing relationships with trusted funders like the White Family Foundation strengthen the organization’s fiscal health and help signal credibility to other foundations and partners.

That trust allows New Urban Arts to focus on its mission: creating an inclusive, relationship-centered environment where young people can grow creatively and personally. Last year, the organization’s Youth Mentorship in the Arts program served 479 students. Ninety-two percent qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, and many faced additional barriers related to language access, economic insecurity, and identity. More than half of participants identified as LGBTQ, and students reflected the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of Providence’s neighborhoods.

Yet numbers only tell part of the story. For students, New Urban Arts is first and foremost a place of belonging.

“It means a safe space for me to develop myself, a ‘home away from home.’”

Others describe it as a space where they can express themselves freely and feel accepted for who they are.

“New Urban Arts is a place to express yourself… to me it’s a place to be yourself, and to find yourself via art making.”

Central to that experience are the organization’s artist mentors. With support from funders like the White Family Foundation, New Urban Arts established its Resident Artist Mentor program, allowing mentors to commit consistent time in the studio and build trusting relationships with youth. Students often arrive knowing their mentor will be there—someone ready to listen, guide, and take their ideas seriously.

Flexible, non-earmarked funding also allows New Urban Arts to respond to students’ evolving needs. When the organization relaunched its Not College Fair to connect students with nontraditional career pathways, it was able to adapt quickly to ensure accessibility for multilingual participants—an adjustment made possible through general operating support.

At a time when access to arts education continues to decline, particularly for low-income youth and youth of color, organizations like New Urban Arts play a critical role. The White Family Foundation’s sustained commitment affirms the value of the arts and helps ensure that creative spaces remain accessible, inclusive, and responsive.

Through this partnership, the Foundation supports more than programming—it helps sustain a community where young people are seen, heard, and empowered to imagine new possibilities.

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