J.A.I.D.E: Justice, Accessibility, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity.

Path with Art is a learning organization, which also encompasses our diversity and equity work. We acknowledge that our work around equity is ongoing, evolving with time, and we seek to permanently embed this work into our culture.

Committee

This committee consists of fourteen participant artists, teaching artists, creative mentors, staff, and board members committed to helping Path with Art do a better job of being an inclusive and welcoming space for all people, specifically those who have been marginalized due to oppression in our society. JAIDE at Path with Art means doing the work to have equitable representation of people based upon categories including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, age, and socioeconomic status. This work requires not only the inclusion of those who are currently excluded and oppressed, but also centering and being led by those who are most impacted by existing inequities. It is not just about inviting folks to the table; we are working to ensure Path with Art is a safe and welcoming place where participants will be respected and valued such that they want to stay at the table

What do we mean by JAIDE at Path with Art?

Generally, JAIDE at Path with Art means to welcome all people, specifically those who have been historically marginalized and underrepresented due to oppression in our society. JAIDE at Path with Art means having a balanced representation of people based upon race, ethnicity, gender expression, (dis)ability, and socioeconomic status. This work requires not only the inclusion of those who are currently excluded and oppressed but also the centering of and being led by those who are most impacted by existing inequities. It is not just about inviting folks to the table, but also making sure it is a safe and welcoming space where they will be respected and valued so they want to stay at the table.

Path with Art acknowledges that our society has been built on systems that have historically excluded opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC), while maximizing privileges and opportunities for white-bodied folks. Many arts organizations, including our organization, are deeply influenced by and actively benefit from these systems, which include racism, classism, ableism, cisheteropatriarchy, colonialism, and more. Transforming these systems is integral to our core purpose of fostering the restoration and resiliency of individuals, groups, and society from the effects of trauma through arts engagement and community building. In order to bring about our organizational vision of a world where arts access is available to all, we must acknowledge the ways in which we, too, are complicit in upholding systemic inequities, even as we seek to dismantle them. By leading our equity work with race, we seek to disrupt racism and all forms of systemic, historical, and structural oppression, which are intimately connected. We recognize that the road to creating meaningful and lasting change is long, and we commit to walking this path with creativity, connection, hope and possibility.