Happy Tails Art Start was a one-year collaboration program between Mimi Jung and Happy Trails for Kids. The program concluded in December of 2020. 

“Happy Trails Art Start provides a safe space where foster kids are encouraged to fully express themselves through visual art among peers who are experiencing similar challenges with foster care. My goal is to create an environment where they feel heard, encouraged, and genuinely supported so they can reach their full potential.”

—Mimi Jung

Hosted in Mimi Jung’s Los Angeles studio, Happy Trails Art Start consists of all year round classes focusing on general art studies. The students also learn about educational and career opportunities in a range of creative fields to help them plan for life after aging out of the foster care system.

Due to COVID-19, we’ve gone virtual.

When it comes to online learning, foster youth face many challenging obstacles. Foremost, not every child has access to a device. In collaboration with Happy Trails for Kids, we launched a laptop donation drive to get our students online. 

Another challenge has been finding ways to continually keep our students engaged and supported while their mental health and social services remain suspended due to pandemic related closures. 

In between our monthly classes, we launched a series of Virtual Studio Tours with a diverse group of professionals, introducing our teens to a wide range of creative career paths. Also, in an effort to provide our students with more individual attention, our latest addition is a Virtual Sketchbook Review, where they are encouraged to share their personal art projects completed outside of class. 

Each month, our students receive a care package with new art supplies and individualized letters of encouragement. 

PALE BLUE LIVE EDGE FORM DRAWING PRINT ON PAPER
Silk screen print on paper
19” x 15”
Edition of 25
2019

PALE BLUE LIVE EDGE FORM DRAWING PRINT
Silk screen print on aluminum sheet and aluminum frame
19” x 15” x 2”
Edition of 3
2019
SOLD