At HÚE, we nurture youth healing
through art.
Here’s how:
When you go to class, it just looks like an art class. But really, what we’re doing is a creative wellness thing.
At HÚE, mental health professionals volunteer in classes and advise the curriculum and organizational direction. That said, HÚE is different from an ordinary art class or art therapy session.
TRADITIONAL
APPROACH
ART THERAPY
-An incredible resource! But…
-Referral needed and content highly regulated
-Long waitlists
-Not for everyone
ART CLASS
-Super fun and awesome! But…
-Can be pricey, especially for families
-Not a community space or specifically aimed to support mental health
VS
THE HÚE APPROACH
CLASS AT HÚE
-Run by volunteer artists, educators, and mental health professionals
-Committed to being a community space for all kiddos
-An added community for parents/caregivers to find formal resources or have informal conversation with experts and others who understand
-Free! Because every kid deserves a safe place to land
-Bilingual (English/Spanish)
-Founded based on a community need and built with love
At HÚE, kids learn all different types of artistic techniques,
from graffiti wall to cross-hatching to Van Gogh, but whether they use those techniques is totally up to them. This commitment to CREATIVE EXPRESSION is the good stuff and is a central value at HÚE.
Creative expression at HÚE is all about using art forms like painting, acting, knitting, and more to express your feelings, thoughts, and experiences in a safe and supportive space where you can freely be yourself.
With your help, HÚE could offer theater, pottery, and other engaging classes. The two missing ingredients are the funding and space! (Because we already have the demand!)
"HÚE has brought a sparkle to my clients' eyes.
The people I work with have all been through trauma, grief and loss. They speak both Spanish and English, and HÚE's classes are culturally appropriate and in a language they understand.
HÚE has brought them much happiness, the ability to relate to someone, and a group of others that are going through similar things."
-Kristina Derksen PSS | Peer Support Specialist, Deschutes County Behavioral Health
The origin story of the HÚE-niverse
In July 2022, a caring group of mental health professionals, creatives, and funders came together to found HÚE. The first Creative Wellness and Free Expression Classes were offered free of charge to four students.
Today, HÚE has over 100 kids signed up, who say the classes they attend here are the best part of their week. They can create and connect in a space free of judgment, where they know there is hope for the future.
With your help, HÚE can move into a bigger space, expand its offerings, and ultimately, help a lot more kids. We haven't advertised anywhere, and we already have demand for more classes than we can offer!
Want to help HÚE help more kids?
“When I first went into HÚE, I was so insecure about my art. I would never show it to anyone. But after going to HÚE for a while, I feel ready to be famous! I feel ready to go out into the world and show everyone my art and show everyone what I can do and… just be myself.”
-Rowyn, 14