Thank You for Supporting BYA- Help Us Close 2025 Strong
BYA Apprentices in Summer 2025
Hi BYA Friends and Family,
As we head into the final days of 2025, we want to say THANK YOU and invite you to help us close the year strong.
In 2025, our focus was on deepening our work inside the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) facilities. The results were something to celebrate: 70+ young people collaborated with BYA and DJS staff on two large-scale mural projects, transforming their environments through art.
Across the year, we engaged 100+ youth at the BYA Community Studio, the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, and the Western Maryland Children’s Center. Through paid creative opportunities, mentorship, and arts engagement, young people built skills, confidence, and a stronger sense of their own potential.
As we close out the year, we’re building on this momentum and inviting our community to help us finish strong.
$10,000 year-end goal - just $5,000 to go
Every gift directly supports youth stipends and essential program costs, helping us enter 2026 ready to continue consistent, paid, youth-centered programming.
Thank you for believing in BYA youth and being part of this next chapter. We’re deeply grateful for your support.
With gratitude and best wishes for the New Year,
Gianna Rodriguez
Executive Director, Baltimore Youth Arts
A special thanks to and immense appreciation for:
Central Baltimore Partnership, North Avenue Market, Neighborhood Design Center, Station North Arts District, The Admiral, Maura Dwyer, Phaan Howng, Se Jong Cho, Abby Becker, Jack Danna, Aaron Kaufman, Janet Felsten, Baltimore Dance Crews Project, John Renner, Matthew Oppenheim, Heidi Arndt, Uplift Alliance, MICA CAC, the BYA Board, and BYA Breadwinners!
The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, The Abell Foundation, United Way of Maryland, the Baltimore Mayor’s Office, the Department of Juvenile Services, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Maryland State Arts Council, the Knott Foundation, the Goldman Sachs 10kSB program, Insperity, and all of the individuals who helped support youth and sustain us through a transitional 2025.
We wouldn’t still be here without all of you, and we’re excited to keep building alongside BYA youth!