Matt D'Arrigo - MOFO

Matt D'Arrigo: Founder/Executive Director: A Reason To Survive, Inc. (ARTS)

Matt D'Arrigo created A Reason To Survive (ARTS), a nonprofit dedicated to healing, inspiring and empowering children facing life challenges by providing innovative arts-based programs, education and opportunities. ARTS provides free visual, performing, and literary arts programs to San Diego's most marginalized youth. Workshops offered include the visual arts of photography, digital imagery, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, mixed media, drawing, illustration, textiles, jewelry, and mosaics. Matt, an artist, was inspired to create the organization after his mother and sister were both diagnosed with cancer within a few months of each other. He used his love of art and music to help himself through the difficult year and subsequent grieving process. The Pat D'Arrigo ARTS Center is named in his mother's memory - his sister, thankfully recovered. ARTS plans to serve 10,000 San Diego children in 2008 through 7 core programs: The Pat D'Arrigo ARTS Center, Community Outreach Programs, Community Art Projects, Van Go! Transportation, Youth Apprenticeships, ARTS Enterprises, and ARTS Scholarships. ARTS maintains a youth art gallery where the work is for sale. D'Arrigo was listed as one of the 50 people to watch in 2008 by San Diego Magazine.

Question #1 What is your highlight Visual art experience from the last year?

#1 "Creating the Pat D'Arrigo ARTS Center - a place where kids can come to express themselves, learn about the visual arts, explore their creative soul, and transform their lives."

Question #2 What is your vision of the future of the Visual arts for San Diego?

#2 "Continue to strengthen and expand our programs to provide access and exposure to the arts for the thousands of San Diego children we serve so they can become the next generation of great artists."