Announcing Loren Hope x Project Open Door

Thanks to the continued support from our beloved family of collectors, the Loren Hope team has been able to get more creative than ever, and for that we are so incredibly grateful. We believe prosperity should be honored by giving back, so that others may be given the opportunity to grow as well. We are proud to announce our philanthropic partnership with Project Open Door. 

Housed within the Rhode Island School of Design, Project Open Door (POD) is a free college-access program for artistic teens that offers art workshops, after school programs, portfolio classes, and summer studios. The mission of POD is to increase access to high-quality arts learning and design careers to Rhode Island's urban core city public high school students. POD also strives to provide a community education platform for RISD students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Last year alone, POD supported approximately 200 high school students from Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket. Their Saturday Portfolio Program holds a 96% retention rate, and since 2015, 100% of seniors attending POD have graduated from high school. 86% of students are young people of color.

For the 2020 - 2021 academic year, Loren Hope has committed to providing new laptop computers for graduates of POD who are heading into their first semester of art school this Fall. In addition, Loren Hope will work with POD leadership to develop programs for mentoring and offer real world experiences for the students of POD. 

Our DNA here at Loren Hope revolves around the State of Rhode Island, so we could not be more thrilled to have the opportunity to give back directly to our community in a way that is truly meaningful to us. When we saw pictures of the young art students (who have just started their freshman year at RISD) holding their new laptops, our hearts were bursting with joy and gratitude. 

“I grew up in a lower middle class home in North Carolina. When I was very young, my mother recognized my innate creativity, and although we didn’t have much, from youth through art school at ECU, she made sure I had the art supplies and the emotional support I needed to keep me pursuing my art. She has always been a cheerleader for my creative endeavors and I know that I owe so much of where I am today as a creative because of this. It is my belief that every child should have the means to get into the arts no matter where they come from, and that it is through the arts that we ultimately enhance the state of living in our society.” -Loren Barham, Founder & Creative Director

Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting this dream, and for making this possible. 

You can learn more about Project Open Door here.