LEXINGTON, Ky. — Having to deal with the pressure, trauma, and realities of addiction can be hard for not only adults but the kids within their homes. It can even become a cycle that spreads throughout a community when there are no other choices to say no. However, Frankfort's Yes Arts is giving the city another option.
For almost a decade, Yes Arts has been Frankfort’s outlet to reduce the patterns of addiction and the behaviors that lead to it among the youth and more.
After a young mother, Maya, passed from a battle with addiction in 2015, her mother Doris Thurber, along with artists Joanna Hay and Jennifer Zingg started Hands Healing HeArts — a program for women and others in recovery.
“So they partnered with the Franklin County Drug Court Program and worked with the women of drug court and provided art classes for them to sort of paint color back into their lives in the early days of recovery.” Yes Arts Executive Director Elle Travis said.
With people, kids, and those that experience the harsh challenges of addiction, trauma in mind — they expanded as Yes Arts.
As the executive director of the program, a long-time artist and person who is now nine years in recovery, Elle Travis and her team are bringing paint brushes, crafts, and much more to kids in the city.
Hoping to offer a professional and valuable experience to those underprivileged and or those who are just art lovers, the center works with many nonprofits, schools and city leaders to develop artistic expression as a new tool. This includes organizations like the Wanda Joyce Robinson Foundation — a nonprofit that helps kids with parents incarcerated are regular partners.
“We pop things out when we have youth in the building and so you can see we’ve got. This is what we call out board game rooms when we have youth programs come in. A part of our program is that we don’t just teach them an art class and then send them home,” Travis said.
Travis says Yes Arts hopes to be a sanctuary for kids who are art enthusiasts. It’s a passion of hers as someone who has dealt with addiction and now advocates to reduce the stigma through her profession and much more.
In April 2021, Yes Arts opened its location for painting, drawing and exploring the art and artists right out of their hometown.
Travis says people leave with a sense of togetherness and knowing they have somewhere to turn to in need and for artistic fun.
“And so what we want children and people in recovery to take home is that they have found a place here that is inclusive and safe for them to be themselves, where they can and feel comfortable talking about things that are hard,” Travis explained.
Soon, the center will even have an art therapist on its team to provide clinical support. With connections in Frankfort independent and public schools and the county court system, Yes Arts also hosts seasonal programs for youth participation.