First Friday!

First Friday Artwalk will be happening this Friday, October 1st, from 6-10PM in Downtown Phoenix.  Las Artes Glendale will be represented at the PSA Art Awakenings street fair at

1014 N 2nd St

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Cross Streets are Roosevelt Ave and 2nd St.

Student art will be for sale, and several student will be answering questions and representing the school.

Here are some recent pieces that might be for sale in the future:

Angel Dominguez finishes a piece for his daughter.

Laura Soto preps a laminate tile for printing.

Laminate Tile, detail.

Joseph Brehm does outline work on a new piece.

Painting by Joseph Brehm

 

Print by Debora Fuentes

Print by Marcus Pennington

Print by Marcus Pennington

Las Artes Staff

The staff at Las Artes is here to help you in any way necessary!  Here is a brief introduction to our staff members and what makes them tick.

Mike Graser

Program Director

Mike is originally from San Diego, but has lived all over the world during his time in the Army.  He has lived in the Phoenix area for over 20 years, and has worked with various Youth programs in the Valley of the Sun, including Project Challenge, the Goodwill, and the YMCA Las Artes de Maricopa program.  In his spare time, Mike enjoys telling terrible jokes, fishing, and fiddling around his house.

Rebecca Martinez

Administrative Assistant

Born and raised in the Phoenix area, Rebecca Martinez has done it all in the business world.  She was a manager for Sam’s Club, has worked at various positions within the YMCA, and is a full-time Mom to five kids.  In her spare time she yells at her daughter’s dog, makes delicious food, and acts as honorary cool adult to all the kids in her neighborhood.

Martin Moreno

Art Director

Martin Moreno was born in Adrian, Michigan in 1950, where he grew up speaking Spanish at home and English in school. His parents were hard-working people who found work in the fields and in the foundries. He has traveled extensively within the United States and Mexico, and has worked with some of the founding Fathers (and Mothers) of the Chicano Rights movement.  In his spare time he is involved with various civil rights organizations, and is one of the founding voices behind ALAC, the Arizona Latino Chicano Arts center, located in Downtown Phoenix. He is a widely-respected muralist and a renowned Chicano artist.  

Jeni Bradley

GED Instructor

Jeni Bradley is originally from Riverside, California, and moved to Phoenix two years ago.  She has been involved in young adult education since 1998, and has taught SAT Prep, English, American Culture, Rock Climbing, and Shotgun and Rifle shooting.  She was the Outstanding Graduate Student at California State University, Fullerton in 2008, and has presented at the Shakespeare Association of America’s Annual Conference.  In her spare time, Jeni hangs out at home with her cats, reads, and serves as a mentor.

Luisa Rodriguez

Case Manager

Luisa Rodriguez was born and raised in South Mountain, Phoenix.  She has been the Case Manager at Las Artes for over a year, and has previously served as the Administrative Assistant for Las Artes as well as the Business Manager for the Community Initiatives section of the Valley of the Sun YMCA.  She has two children and will occasionally make a grab for students’ children to add to her collection.  (Just kidding.  Mostly.)  If she has spare time, which she mostly doesn’t, she likes to hang out with her family.

Amanda June

Exit Case Manager

Amanda June was born in Flagstaff, Arizona, and has lived in the Phoenix area for most of her life.  She recently graduated from ASU, where she studied Non-Profit Management.  She has a dog, Coco, and enjoys music, salsa dancing, and telling Mike “no.”

How do I Enroll in Las Artes?

How Do I Enroll in Las Artes?

There are three steps to enrolling in Las Artes.  You must complete all three to be successfully enrolled.

1) Take the TABE test!  The TABE tests stands for the Test of Adult Basic Education.  It is divided into three sections: Reading, Math, and Language.  The Reading questions are largely based on Reading comprehension, while the Language questions focus on correct grammar and sentence structure.  The Math section will test your basic math skills, including adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing with whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and percentages.  You will also need to know how to do some basic time problems as well as how to read a graph.  You need to score 7.0 or higher on all three sections of the TABE test to be admitted to Las Artes.

2) Eligibility with Ms. Luisa.  In order to be admitted to Las Artes, you must meet eligibility requirements.  You must be between the ages of 16 and 21, eligible to work in the United States, and you or your parents must be under an income determined by how many people live in your household.  You must have the following paperwork available: Birth certificate, Social Security card, documentation for Food Stamps or SSI, paycheck stubs for anyone in the household who works, and documentation if you have any dependants.  There may be additional information required.

3) Suitability with Ms. Luisa.  Luisa Rodriguez is our Case Manager, and is responsible for making sure that we are a good fit for prospective students, and that they are a good fit for us.  Luisa will ask questions about your personality, how you react in different situations, and issues that might come up during your time here at Las Artes.  We want to know about you so that we can help you in the most effective ways possible.  It’s important to be honest and open with Ms. Luisa during your suitability interview.

Once you’ve completed all three steps, you will be notified with information about whether or not you will be enrolled in Las Artes.  There may be additional paperwork to fill out at this time, and if you are under 18, your parent may need to sign some documents.

What happens once I’m enrolled at Las Artes?

During your first two weeks as a student at Las Artes, you will be placed on probationary status.  This applies to all students that enter Las Artes and is not related to any other probation that you may be involved with.  The probationary period at Las Artes is to make sure that all parties are happy with the fit at Las Artes, and to give the staff additional time to observe your attitude, attendance, work ethic, and skills.  It is very important that you are not absent or late during your probationary period, as it may affect your continued enrollment at Las Artes.

What happens once I’m off probation at Las Artes?

Once you are off your probation at Las Artes, you will begin to be paid for your time with us!  That’s right, we pay you to come to school!  Student pay is broken down according to the following:

Pay Category	Amount
Attendance Mon-Fri	$50
Bonus for being on time	$25/week
Bonus for monthly perfect attendance	$100/month
TOTAL	$400/month

YOU CAN MAKE $400/MONTH ATTENDING LAS ARTES.  Here’s how:

1) Come to school every day and be on time.  You will be deducted pay if you are late to class or leave school early.  How much you are deducted is up to the staff to decided, based on the circumstances.

2) Participate and have a good attitude.  If the art teacher asks you to assist with something, assist!  If you are given the opportunity to visit a college for a career day, attend!  You are the only one who can mess up your paycheck, so make sure your attendance, participation, and timeliness are GREAT!

There are occasional opportunities to make more money at Las Artes: special weekend events, sales of your art work, and more.

In addition, Las Artes will provide you with a bus pass every month to help you get to school every day, on time.  We will pay for your GED tests (the price is currently $80 for all five tests.)  We will also pay you bonuses for attending college, getting a job after graduation, and you will receive a $100 check when you earn your GED.

As you can see, there are many benefits to attending Las Artes.  If you are interested in enrolling, please call Rebecca Martinez to schedule your TABE test at (623) 937-8426.

Las Artes Glendale