ArtWell

Calling all creatives, dreamers, and storytellers! Join us during the 2026 Poetry & Art Show exhibit week for an inspiring series of FREE workshops designed to spark your imagination and celebrate your creativity. Sign up for one workshop or experience them all! Each event takes place at The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design (@thegalleriesatmoore ), surrounded by powerful poetry and artwork created by talented K–12 students from across Philadelphia. Workshops: Lyrical Fragments: A Collage Making Workshop - Tuesday June 2nd, 5–7 PM In this workshop led by Destiny Crockett (@destinyc.rockett ), you’ll begin by reflecting on a poem by a Philly-born poet before creating our own collages that combine the abstract with the figurative. Artbreak with ArtWell: Creating Fabric Mosaic Collages– Wednesday June 3rd, 12–2 PM. During this event, attendees will use scraps of fabric, paint markers, and thread to create a textile wrapped canvas piece. The Art of Roses: Floral DesignWorkshop – Thursday June 4th, 5–7 PM Led by Essence McCants (@ess.ence.mm ) learn how to reflex roses! At this creative floral design workshop, attendees will get to make a rose bouquet and add embellishments such as jewels, pearls, glitter, and paint. The Ekphrastic Eye: Writing After Art– Friday, June 5th, 5–7 PM Hosted by Elijah Mosley, explore the relationship between visual arts and poetry! Learn about ekphrastic poetry and compose original poems inspired by art in a welcoming and supportive environment. Come create, connect, and be inspired in a space filled with young artistic brilliance. Spots are limited. Register now to claim yours! Links for each workshop are in our bio.

We’re still glowing from last year’s Poetry & Art Show, an unforgettable gathering of youth voices, fearless creativity, and healing-centered artistry that moved us all. Every poem and performance pulsed with the spirit and imagination of our young people. This year, we’re carrying that energy forward with even more visual art and original poetry from ArtWell students. The celebration will feature powerful performances by student poets, the Youth Poet Laureate Rashawn Dorsey and the incomparable Yolonda Wisher (@yolandawisher ), alongside featured artwork from Faridah Ismaila (@faridahsart ). And if last year taught us anything, it’s this: when young people are given space to create, magic happens. Check out the recap video from last year and feel the energy for yourself! This year’s show at The Galleries at Moore (@thegalleriesatmoore ) promises another vibrant afternoon of community. Join us for the opening reception on Sunday, May 31st from 1–4 PM as we celebrate the work of our K–12 students. To get tickets or learn more, click the link in our bio.

ArtWell’s Poetry & Art Show is happening on Sunday, May 31st at The Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design (@thegalleriesatmoore ), and you won’t want to miss it! We’re honored to announce our feature poet: Yolanda Wisher (@yolandawisher ). A Philadelphia-rooted poet, musician, and cultural leader, Yolanda brings a powerful blend of poetry and song to the stage. A former Philadelphia Poet Laureate and the inaugural Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, she is the author of Monk Eats an Afro and has shared her work everywhere from major literary journals to national media. Known for her dynamic performances with her band, Yolanda Wisher & The Afroeaters, she continues to push the boundaries of spoken word and sound. Don’t miss this chance to experience her work live alongside an afternoon of art, poetry, and community. We'll announce the full lineup of performers soon, so stay tuned! And join us for an afternoon that celebrates creativity and connection. Click the link in our bio for tickets!

We visited ArtWell classrooms throughout April (National Poetry Month) to see our programs in action! Swipe through to catch Teaching Artist Mugo Muna (@crispycheetah ) bringing the energy to Science Leadership Academny Middle School in Philly as part of our Art of Growing Leaders program. Led by Mugo and fellow ArtWell Teaching Artist, Marcy Morris (@marcymorrisartistry ), students kicked things off with team Pictionary, then dove into collage-making inspired by the legendary Romare Bearden (@beardenfoundation_official ). The results? Bold, brilliant, and full of stories only these young artists could tell. There’s something powerful about watching ideas come alive piece by piece. If you’re moved by youth art, join us on May 31st at the Galleries at Moore (@thegalleriesatmoore ) for our annual Poetry & Art Show. Grab your tickets now and bring a friend. Link in bio!

We raised over 140% our original goal of $7,500! We want to give a huge thank you to our community and supporters for making ArtWell Giving Day a resounding success! Every dollar raised supports our in-school programs and the fifth annual ArtWell Poetry and Art Show, a free exhibit showcasing the creative works of our K-12 students. We're grateful for this investment in our mission, and we know that it wouldn't have been possible without your support, whether you made a gift, told a friend, or simply followed along with us. THANK YOU! Want to join us at the show and see student artwork up close? Click the link in our bio to get tickets!

There's still time to be a part of ArtWell Giving Day! When you donate today, your gift supports enrichment that bolsters school engagement, enhances critical thinking, and nurtures empathy, creating a path to a more vibrant City of Philadelphia. But don't take our word for it. Swipe to see what our students have to say about ArtWell! Check out the link in our bio to give.

Every student deserves a classroom that affords emotional safety and fosters community. In this video, ArtWell Teaching Artist Khalisah Hameed (@plpit.purpose ) reflects on her experience with ArtWell and what it means to create a supportive artistic environment for young people: "For me, being a Teaching Artist with ArtWell means engaging in revolutionary kindness and revolutionary love with students who are within systems that don't always affirm them, that don't always affirm their whole person, and being able to be a safe space for students." Khalisah Hameed is a poet, teaching artist, event curator, audio engineer, and multimedia producer based in Philadelphia. She utilizes her Bachelor’s in Music Production and MFA in Writing as the founder and production manager of The Olive Press Media, a multimedia production company specializing in literary and audio production, as well as event curation. Khalisah is the author of two self-published collections of poetry, Concrete Growth and Indigo Sun, the editor of an anthology of written and visual art, When the Sun Rose at 9:08, and Khalisah also hosts a biweekly open mic every 2nd and 4th Friday in Germantown called Say It Wit Ya Chest. Will you join us today, on ArtWell Giving Day, and help create supportive artistic spaces across Philadelphia? Donate at the link in our bio!

ArtWell Giving Day is here 🎨! Please join me in supporting this organization and mission that is so close to my heart. Your gift helps ArtWell bring more opportunities for arts education and creative reflection to young people in Philadelphia. Make a gift today! Every dollar supports ArtWell’s youth arts programs and helps amplify students’ voices at the annual Poetry and Art Show! To donate, visit the link in my bio 🔗 @artwellphilly #youtharts #givingday #arteducationmatters

In classrooms across Philadelphia, ArtWell Teaching Artists plant seeds of joy and connection, encouraging students to reflect, create, and grow. In our We the Poets class at Emlen Elementary School, the joy is overflowing! Led by ArtWell Teaching Artist and Poet, Lindo Jones (@LindoYes ), students learned about revolutionary thinkers like Octavia Butler and the genre of Afrofuturism. Then they created their own utopia: Black Arts Magic Mississippi! When you donate today (ArtWell Giving Day), your gift makes moments like these possible. All donations, big or small, expand access to meaningful arts experiences for K-12 students. Give today at the link in our bio, or share it with a friend.

Today is the day! ArtWell Giving Day makes creative freedom and artistic joy possible in classrooms across Philly. Back for a fourth year, Giving Day is a community-wide fundraising effort supporting our youth arts programs, including the annual Poetry and Art Show—a free, public exhibit celebrating the voices and creativity of our K-12 students. We invite you to join us today by making a gift of any amount or helping spread the word! Every dollar raised helps create supportive spaces for Philadelphia youth to engage in artmaking as a pathway for self-expression and wellness. Donate today at the link in our bio!

What does it mean to engage in community and support each other through artmaking? In this highlight, ArtWell Teaching Artist David A. Gaines (@davegpoetry ) reflects on the power of community and the vital role artmaking plays in self-expression. His words remind us that creativity is not just an outlet, but a lifeline. It’s a way to process, question, heal, and connect. David is a writer, filmmaker, and actor born and based in Philadelphia whose work explores Blackness, masculinity, and mental health through an intersectional lens. An award-winning, nationally touring poetry performer, he is a fellow of The Watering Hole and BlackStar Filmmaker Lab, and a Poet Laureate of Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County. His work has been featured in the National Black Arts Festival, Button Poetry, Write About Now, and VICE Media, among others. Interested in supporting the in-classroom work of ArtWell Teaching Artists like Dave G.? Don’t miss out on Giving Day happening on 4/22! By donating on ArtWell Giving Day, your gift will help foster connection and provide K-12 students with more opportunities for self-expression.

Check out some creativity in action. ArtWell Teaching Artist Uriah Bussey brought inspiration and imagination to Carnell Elementary as part of our Art of Growing Leaders program. Students explored their voices through vibrant, creative paintings. Swipe through to see these young artists at work and the powerful stories they’re telling through color and creativity.