Art in the Garden

Art in the Garden has year-round programming that supports participants in growing in connection to self, others, and the Earth. Based out of Borland Garden in East Liberty, we are LGBTQ+ led, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, liberatory, and joy-centered.

Our programming engages arts, ecology, and mindfulness as vehicles to address the impacts of childhood adversity and trauma.

Participants develop self-awareness and reduce stress by identifying and honoring their emotions; they engage restorative practices that empower confidence, strengthen relationships, teamwork, and conflict transformation skills; solutions-based projects strengthen their ability to see themselves as creators of positive change, all the while deepening their capacity for compassion.

Trauma-Informed Care Trainings Support a Compassionate Approach

One of the visions central to our work is supporting Pittsburgh in becoming a model for best practices in trauma-informed care. In order to support this vision, we hold trauma-informed care trainings for Art the Garden teachers, families, and community members. Prior sessions include, “Why Trauma-Informed Care Must be Explicitly Anti-Racist,” “Supporting Transgender Youth,” and “Concrete Strategies for Joy-Centered, Trauma-Informed Interventions with Youth.” For a program to be trauma-informed it must intentionally create communities of belonging. Participants in our trainings gain concrete tools for caring for themselves and others as well as a board perspective on why trauma informed care is both an individual healing practice and a systemic intervention into creating a more just and supportive world for all.

At Art in the Garden, we strive to support each participant feel seen and valued. For, we know that when we are deeply seen, it is easier for us to touch our own innate goodness, the truth of who we are. When we know this truth about ourselves, we can act from love, feel confident in who we are, make centered and kind choices, and stay in touch with our inner wisdom.

Community Partners

Since Art in the Garden began in 2009, we have been a community that welcomes the whole of each person and values our interconnection. Over the years we have created lasting partnerships with collaborating artists, ecologists and other local organizations including: Afro-Latin Drumming and Dance with Miguel Sague III; The Andy Warhol Museum; Bird Lab; DJing with Tim Guthrie; The Mural Art Project led by Max “Gems” Gonzalez, Jerome “Chu” Charles, and Shane Pilster in collaboration with Hemispheric Conversations: Urban Art Project (HCUAP) and Rivers of Steel Arts (ROSA); Latino Community Center (LCC); Pittsburgh Forest Garden; Pittsburgh Community Science Workshop; Reading is Fundamental (RIF); Sankofa Village for the Arts; Sensory Super Powers; Tree Pittsburgh; Youth Enrichment Services (YES); and ZART. We also welcomed a licensed social worker to our summer team to further support social and emotional well-being of our community.

We are also grateful to partners who provided indoor space during inclement weather: East Liberty Presbyterian Church, Eastminster Presbyterian Church, The Kingsley Association, and North Way Church and to Earthen Vessels Outreach for, each summer for many summers, providing over 2,000 free breakfasts and lunches to Art in the Garden campers.

Consider Supporting Art in the Garden

We believe in systems powered by love and justice. We know that racism, sexism, and anti- LGBTQIA+ stigma harm economic security. We actively work against these systemic failures and persistent disparities and refuse the idea that only those who can afford programming can participate. We know that together we can create a better world for all.

In the interest of equity, at least half of the spots for our programs are reserved for students who identify as low-income and/or are of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx heritage. In order to promote economic justice, AITG uses a sliding scale fee.

Your support makes programming possible.

The Climate Crisis as Teacher

Art in the Garden’s approach to ecology identifies climate change as both the crisis that it is and as an opportunity to learn from and connect with the earth. How can we engage our attention and our imagination to the task of regenerating the health of local ecosystems? When we look deeply into the devastating headlines about the effects of global warming, we see that the climate crisis reflects our distance from and difficulty being with the living world, including being with ourselves. To this end, students engage with activities that ask them to take an active role, however small, in regenerating the health of the planet. They have planted seeds and watched them grow, inoculated logs with mushroom spawn, harvested basil and made delicious pesto, foraged for medicinal plants and made a healing salve. Throughout, they discussed the regenerative power of plants to heal our bodies and the planet. Students wonder at how each seed contains the blueprints for a living plant that, given the proper care, will sprout and grow, providing food, medicine, habitat, and oxygen to others for generations to come. This sort of ecological imagination—students’ capacity to envision a 70 foot tree unfurling from a seed the size of their fingernails—is essential to Art in the Garden’s philosophy. Because we see daily the devastating effects that fossil fuel industries and chemical agriculture have on the planet, it can be hard to imagine a world where we meet core human needs while also regenerating the health of ecosystems. And yet, for most of human history, humans did. Art in the Garden helps campers relearn that it is possible—and fun!—to live in this way.

Meals & Composting

To support the health of our community and the earth, all of the meals we serve are vegetarian/vegan and we compost all food scraps. Campers experience the importance of composting firsthand, witnessing the transformation of food waste into fertile soil. Thanks to the Refresh Fund and Grounded for support in purchasing a new compost tumbler. We also work to connect Art in the Garden families with free food through partnerships with local organizations.

Testimonials

My daughter loved her time at camp, coming home with beautiful art, including the brilliant mulberry stains on her face. I loved the week as well, as I felt completely confident that I was leaving my child with a truly kind staff who welcomed her and cared for her particular needs. It felt a bit as if I were also leaving her in the care of the garden itself, which is a splendid, magical space where children can dig and play and learn. -Parent

My child’s curiosity and interest in the natural world increased. -Parent

The Art in the Garden program has been a wonderful and transformative experience for me. Teaching and learning outdoors in nature has been a healing journey. The curriculum pedagogy and the lifestyle practices of the community makes the program influential for adults and children. As a PA Certified K-12 Art Teacher and Lead Teacher of Art in the Garden, I believe this has been a deep and meaningful professional development opportunity for me as an educator and community partner. Because of Art in the Garden, I now plan to facilitate a community garden in my neighborhood. More neighborhoods would benefit from programs similar to Art in the Garden.” -Teacher

Camp offered a safe, calm place for my daughter to do the kinds of basic things she does not get a chance to do at school and that bring her joy. She could sit, think, get dirty, pick fruit. Her teacher was soft spoken and had an even, calm energy that helped my daughter be more receptive to hearing about emotions and strategies for self-regulation. -Parent

Art in the Garden is the only job I’ve ever had where I can be myself and I am genuinely seen and celebrated, as are the other teachers and all the campers. The culture of community, care, and joy is magical to be a part of. Teaching this curriculum is meaningful to me because it provides crucial yet accessible life skills for anyone existing on the planet. This is the summer camp we all wish we had gone to as kids! -Teacher

What I find very special about Art in the Garden is that amidst all of the amazing and enriching activities that the campers are engaging in, the emotional experience of campers is always central. That means that supporting a camper to navigate a moment of worry, anger, or sadness might be the most important learning. Sometimes we throw a lesson plan out the window because what we really need is a restorative circle to help mediate a conflict, or a quiet moment to draw about our big feelings. That’s what it means to me to be trauma-informed—we are always there for the campers as human beings first. -Molly Zacharias, Camp Therapist

I believe that the use of the skills taught by AITG helps to normalize the ways in which my child experiences the world. Through exposure and through practice and shared language, he is more receptive to using the skills and tools he has learned to help him navigate conflicts, bring self-awareness to a given situation. -Parent

I think that it is wonderful to have a sliding scale, we were able to attend because of it. -Parent

Borland Garden is a truly magical place. My daughter loves Art in the Garden’s summer camp and brings the creativity and positivity home with her. I’m using one of the wands she made to dispel negative self-talk and limiting thoughts. So grateful for AITG!  -Parent

Reflections from Our Teen Leaders

Working at Art in the Garden really taught me to be more gentle with myself and to love myself more.

I liked when they taught us about the different ways to work with kids. I learned how to be a leader and how to calmly handle situations.

I learned a lot about composting and how that affects the planet and about a lot of edible plants.

I learned how to be patient with the kids even when it wasn’t easy. I learned how to calm campers down by doing deep breaths, talking in a calm voice, and taking a walk. Then you want to try and slowly redirect the camper (once calm) to the rest of the group.

Art in the Garden is a very calm and relaxing place. It has impacted me and my brother so much.

Being a Teen Leader helped me better my relationship with kids and understand how to work a garden better.

Working here betters you as a person.

Questions? Please Reach Out to Us!

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Unaddressed trauma perpetuates cycles of harm in our communities, influencing the music and media we create and consume. While popular music and media often normalize trauma-responsive behavior, they can also empower individuals, foster economic liberation, and advance professional growth. 

The Creative Apprenticeship Program (C.A.P.) is a three-month to yearlong initiative offering resources, mentorship, and opportunities for collaboration, and creative growth. Participants gain access to specialized creative clubs, 1 on 1 support sessions, and tri-annual showcase opportunities. CAP creatives  join a broader network of artists and business owners, creating opportunities for teaching, service, and vendor roles in community initiatives. C.A.P. participants also receive mental health mentorship, and networking opportunities, preparing them for greater personal and professional advancement.

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