Our story begins back in 2014 when Founder, Jennifer Heastings, had a pretty serious medical scare. After life-saving surgery, Jen decided to give back to the communities that matter the most to her, the arts and fellow LGBTQ people. Arts Out Loud was born shortly after being released from the hospital and became incorporated within a few months.
AOL helps LGBTQ young adults and teens with artistic and creative aspirations through scholarship, mentoring, and education. Our programs reach the under-served, artistically passionate students.
100% of donations to AOL fund our programs. No operational expenses are paid with your donations. With your donations we are able to provide scholarships young LGBTQ artists, mentoring with top industry professionals, and educational outreach to help young people hone their artistic skills and gain insight into their futures.
AOL’s programs help our young artists achieve positive outcomes in life. Our programs focus on things like education, guidance, and empowerment to engage young people not only in creating bright futures, but also using their voice for a positive impact on the community.