Founded in 2013 by Julia Gillette, Art Empowerment For Life creates scholarship funds to notable art and design schools for children, adolescents, and young adults.

As a recent graduate from Stanford University in 2020, Julia Gillette continues to lead Art Empowerment for Life with annual fundraising events that continue to provide yearly funds for children to follow their creative passions!

Our Mission

Art Empowerment For Life is an organization whose primary objective is to provide opportunities for children and adolescents who wish to pursue their passions through art thus furthering personal creative expression. 

The organization solicits donations in a unique way by gathering beautiful art from artists and galleries, then selling the works through benefit-events. With the goal of empowerment, scholarships are given to recipients for study at noted schools, such as The Hui No’Eau in Hawaii and the Art Institute of Chicago.

100% of the proceeds fund the Art Empowerment For Life scholarship program.

What We've Achieved

• Created more than $50,000 in scholarship funds towards the Hui No'Eau Children's art program in Maui, Hawaii

• Created a $5,000 scholarship for the Art Institute of Chicago youth program

• The COVID-19 pandemic has isolated families and children from art classrooms and creative spaces. To combat this and encourage creative expression during these difficult times, Art Empowerment For Life’s partner, the Hui No’Eau Visual Art Center, has assembled more than 350 art kits that have been distributed to children on Maui through a drive-through Hui pick-up. These kits have also been distributed to children at local homeless shelters, foster cares, and on Lanai Island (which is part of Maui County). 

  These kits have been so well received by the children, that Art Empowerment For Life is funding the continuation of distributing more kits during the COVID-19 pandemic.