FOKUS

Our Mission

To educate, empower and unite communities by using traditional and non-traditional forms of art.

Our Overview

FOKUS cultivates creativity and peoples' understanding of their own creative talents through engaging art programming. The communities that we work with reach across different art disciplines, skill levels and interests, cultural demographics, socio-economic status and generations. We highlight the importance of and need for arts in life - for both artist and audience.

FOKUS stands for Fighting Obstacles Knowing Ultimate Success. The organization was founded in 2005 by Alma Davila-Toro and Atiba T. Edwards. FOKUS currently has chapters in Ann Arbor, Michigan and New York City.

What We Do

How We Do It

The primary program areas of FOKUS are:

SmARTs: Success Made Through the Arts (SmARTs) is our arts education programming that develops essential life skills through the exploration and creation of art. We introduce and teach art disciplines, such as visual arts, poetry, creative writing and dance through hands-on workshops, studio sessions led by teaching artists and field trips to cultural institutions.

Moments: FOKUS introduces artists and communities to each other through engaging short-run programs called Moments. The goals are two fold: to create bridges between under-served communities and art and to provide emerging artists with support to reach wider audiences. Moments include art shows, film screenings, panel discussion, workshops, curation of spaces and more.

INSIGHT: Humankind often looks to art to define civilizations and cultures, and the quarterly magazine is based on this concept. INSIGHT magazine, which provides insight into the artists who are shaping our culture today.

We Are Cru

• Ayodele Ali

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... musical expression through Hip-Hop and poetry.
• Ashlee Arder

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... making it happen.
• Anna Barsan

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... visual storytelling.
• Suhaly Bautista

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... the earth warrior.
• Senesi Blake

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... DJing and cinematography.
• Carisa Bledsoe

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... bare.
• Evalyn Carter

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... Allyhood.
• Gerloni Cotton

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... healing.
• Courtney Cox

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... always evolving.
• Alma Davila-Toro

  Co-Founder
  My Art is... life.
• Tarah Douglas

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... unconditional.
• Atiba T. Edwards

  Co-Founder, Creative Director
  My Art is... dreaming while awake.
• Nkosi Edwards

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... passion.
• Lilia Epstein-Katz

  Co-President, Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... getting educated.
• Giovanna Fischer

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... curating spaces within which folks feel loved and inspired to give love away to others. Reciprocity.
• Asha Gowda

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... exploring.
• Jordan Harris

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... my voice.
• Kendra Hentschel

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... my freedom.
• Tatiana Hofmans

  Vice-President, Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... movement.
• Claire Jaffe

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... in the details.
• Malik Jones-Robinson

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... showing students how to experience the world through literature.
• Jordan Kifer

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... in my words.
• Jamie Killen

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... taking pictures worth a thousand words and writing words worth a thousand pictures.
• Mark Knapp

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... the manifestation of my mind's musings.
• Allison Maritza Lasky

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... a neon recipe full of creativity, health advocacy, musicology & paying attention to people with all 6 of my senses.
• Kaz McNellie

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... is appreciation of non-standard art forms such as games and comics.
• Frances Medina

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... organizing.
• Wade Phillips

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... songwriting.
• Ciarra Ross

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... public speaking.
• Mallika Roy

  Co-President, Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... layering.
• Claire Schorin

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... wordplay!
• Veniece Session

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... music.
• Tyesha Thomas

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... in my laughter.
• Yazzy Troche

  New York Chapter
  My Art is... interacting with individuals and making them smile!
• Richel'la Washam

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... my experiences.
• Megan White

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... daydreaming.
• Candie Pierce-Winters

  Ann Arbor Chapter
  My Art is... always loving and learning more.

• Janelle Monae
• John Legend
• Jeff Chang
• Justin Bua
• Keys N Krates
• Kidz in the Hall
• Kool DJ Red Alert
• Lupe Fiasco
• Marc Bamuthi Joseph
• Saul Williams
• Slum Village
• The Hot 8
• Astronomical Kid
• Belikos
• Buff1
• Che Grand
• Circa '95
• Darren Criss
• DJ GrandWizzard Theodore
• DJ Jazzy Jay
• DJ Smoke L.E.S.
• GIST aka the Essence
• Invincible
• Matthew Santos
• OneBeLo
• Pattern Is Movement
• ScienZe
• Si*Se
• Sophia Urista & The Sauce

• Crazy Legs
• PopMaster Fabel
• dream hampton
• Jeff Chang
• Va$htie Kola
• Paola Mendoza
• Gene Pendon
• Issa Rae
• Michael Skolnik
• Popmaster Fabel
• Oscar Torres
• Alice Mizrachi
• Bishop203
• Crane TMT
• Destroy & Rebuild
• Free5
• Ink 76 Bad inc
• John Tebeau
• Michael Sorgatz
• Priz TSF
• Ree 2 MTA
• Rick Midler
• Sonic 002 Bad inc
• Stan-One TSF

• Arts at Michigan
• Brooklyn Bodega
• Citizen Schools
• Five Myles Gallery
• StoryCorps
• The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement
• Matrix Theatre Company
• MESA/Trotter at The University of Michigan
• NYU's Kanbar Institute of Film & Television
• OAMI at The Unversity of Michigan
• RBSCC Career Pathways & Homebase
• Scratch DJ Academy
• Solefood NYC
• Trotter House
• VSA Arts