Art for Refugees in Transition (A.R.T.) helps rebuild individual and community identity for refugees worldwide. Drawing upon the indigenous art forms of each community, A.R.T.s programs are designed to enable the elders of a culture to educate and incorporate the younger generation in their cultural traditions. By developing self-sustaining curricula and training programs, A.R.T. engages children and adults in visual, performing and creative arts drawn from their own cultures.

A.R.T. has received accreditation from UNESCO's Committee for the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. We now serve UNESCO as advisors on intangible cultural heritage.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan - A.R.T. is partnering with the Arian Learning Center, ALC, a school and learning center that serves Afghan refugees in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. ALC is holding workshops focusing on the community’s cultural traditions. 

Cartagena, Colombia - A.R.T. is working to help strengthen,the individual and community identity, culture, and herage of communities in Punta Canoa, Cartagena, Colombia. Together with the community and local partners, Fundación Educacional Nuevo Retiro, FENUR, Educativa Arroyo de Piedra, Punta Canoa, Universidad Technologica de Bolivar, and the local community town council, A.R.T. has initiated an intergenerational arts program, which engages children, youth, and adults in the local visual, performing, and creative arts.

Bethlehem, Palestine – A.R.T.’s programs for Palestinian refugees in partnership with the Ibdaa Cultural Center in the Dheisheh refugee camps in the West Bank, engages the elders and the youth in cultural activities, including, embroidery, storytelling, and psychosocial support. Following the events of October 7, 2023, A.R.T. suspended our programming out of concern for the safety of our staff and beneficiaries.

In 2023, A.R.T. was awarded the Jeonju Award for Presentation of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A.R.T.’s work in Colombia was recently selected as one of eight Good Practices featured for UNHCR’s Colombia initiative. Our cultural preservation program in Punta Canoa was highlighted for its work in realizing refugee self-reliance, which is Objective 1of the Global Compact. Read more here.