We are doing something amazing: creating a space of expression and jobs for youth in Baltimore.

Located in the East Baltimore Midway community, we seek to “serve the community through the arts, to transform lives”.

In building an out-of-school time safe space for the youth of Baltimore, we've set a big goal-$50,000-to renovate, revitalize, and realize a place in the heart of East Baltimore to call home.

The Backstory

Artistic Laborers in Visual Exaltation (A.L.I.V.E) started as a grassroots effort of passionate minds and hearts wanting to get below the surface to lead change. We are organized on community access principles and the belief that art, in all its’ forms, is essential to the human spirit and well-being. From the vision of Claveron E. Burston Jr. (Clae), Pastor of the Mission Life Church, to see people uplifted out of despair, helplessness, and hopelessness, he and Arts Administrator, Tonisha "Keyinta" Boyd co-founded A.L.I.V.E. We feel that arts and culture should be an integral and conscious part of everyone’s life. Partnered with co-founder of LEAP Theatre, 40-year electrical construction and drama teacher with Baltimore City Public Schools, Stephen Holloway, we set about weaving the arts back into the fabric of our community. The early years (2006-2017) were grassroots efforts realized through poetry, dramatic presentations, dances, spoken word, music, story-telling, full theatrical productions, and summer camp partnerships.

Why this GOFUNDME

To better serve the community, the organization became a 501(c)(3) non-profit, established in January 2018 to build a youth-driven community theatre company and out of school time program that will provide college-and-career readiness services, opportunities, and support for youth in Baltimore and the surrounding counties. WE HAVE A BUILDING, we need your help to get it up to code for occupancy. We have a proposal from artist who will lead the commuity in completing a community mural, we need your help for supplies and cost of installation. This hasn’t stopped us from partnering with other organizations to fulfill our mission; however, a place to call home to grow this intellectual, social, and artistic explosion centered in Baltimore would ignite the Renaissance we seek to manifest.

How YOU Can Help

Make a tax-deductible DONATION to our youth community theatre and programs because Baltimore can’t wait.

$5 shows that you care

$25 provides art supplies for our visual artists who may or may not be quiet; either way, they have lots to say, but express best with no words at all.

$50 supports after-school programming for a week: a safe space in the evening hours where a student gain access to homework help and an outlet centered around creating.

$100 covers a semester of Saturday programming when our young people express the need to make better choices through consistent adult mentoring

$300 allows a student to have the costumes, transportation, and props they need to participate in one full production: “beginning with the end in mind” is a habit success.

$600 enables one student to participate in our summer intensive in partnership with the Youth Arts Institute at Morgan State University: six weeks of a full day of art exploration in visual arts, theatre, music, and dance, SMART goal setting, and building positive relationships that lasts a lifetime.

Thank you in advance for your priceless contribution!

Artistic Laborers In Visual Exaltation Inc

Mission: Serve the Community through the Arts

Vision: to Transform Lives

Fundraising Campaigns

Baltimore Renaissance A.L.I.V.E