It Starts with the Arts… but it doesn’t stop there.
Every young person we meet is unique—so is their path forward. At Starts with Arts Foundation, we use creativity as the entry point to something much deeper: personal growth, academic success, and community transformation. We start with art, but what follows is confidence, healing, leadership, and power.
Our programs are designed to remove barriers to access and bring high-impact arts education directly to youth in under-resourced communities. Whether it’s through mobile art studios, after-school workshops, art therapy integration, or pop-up exhibitions; we create safe, inspiring spaces for young people to explore who they are and who they want to become.
We believe art is more than expression; it’s a tool for survival and success. The lessons learned through creativity translate into better outcomes in school, stronger relationships, career readiness, and civic leadership.
As our youth navigate today’s changing world, we meet them with culturally responsive curriculum, trauma-informed care, and bold partnerships. By embedding art therapy, access to supplies, and wellness tools into our everyday programming, we help young people and their families heal, thrive, and lead.
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DAVID VARELA | FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A visionary creative leader with roots in California’s Imperial Valley, David Varela has spent his life using art to tell powerful stories, bridge cultural divides, and create platforms for youth empowerment. Now serving as Director of Creative Services at YWCA USA, David brings over two decades of experience in branding, visual storytelling, and community-focused design to one of the nation’s most impactful nonprofit organizations.
Born and raised in El Centro, CA, David’s early academic journey was marked by challenges. But through the unwavering encouragement of educators and the local migrant education program, he discovered a life-changing passion for art. After graduating from Southwest High School in 2000, he pursued a degree in graphic design in Long Beach—overcoming financial hardships with the support of his close-knit family and deep determination.
In 2012, after selling his first painting, David sought to give back to the school and teachers who had inspired him. When he reached out to his former mentor to donate, he learned that all funding for the school’s art programs had been cut. That moment sparked a mission. David founded Starts with Arts Foundation to fill that gap and decrease barriers to arts education in the Imperial Valley. What began as a personal act of gratitude quickly grew into a larger movement to ensure young people—especially those from under-resourced communities—have access to creative tools, mentorship, and inspiration.
David went on to build an impressive creative career, working with respected institutions including the Los Angeles Times, Viejas Casino, Imperial Valley Press, Sixteenfifty Creative Group, and the national public health powerhouse Rescue Agency. His creative leadership has also supported civic engagement efforts through Neta Collab, an organization amplifying Latinx, Chicano, and Indigenous voices in social and political justice work. David’s contributions to Neta Collab have helped push forward powerful narratives for cultural preservation, immigrant rights, and creative resistance.
In 2022, David relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife and teenage son, drawn by the city’s emerging creative energy and collaborative spirit. There, he expanded the work of Starts with Arts to meet the needs of his new home. Through initiatives like ArtVanGo, a mobile art studio program, David is re-imagining what community-centered art access can look like for all. His work is a living testament to the idea that creativity can heal, uplift, and transform.
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ANITRA PARISH | DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Born in San Diego and raised in California’s Imperial Valley, Anitra Parish turned pain into progress and adversity into purpose. Growing up in a place where programs were scarce but imagination was everywhere, she learned to see creativity as survival'; an act of expression, rebellion, and freedom. Those early struggles became her compass, guiding her to build what she once needed most: safe, inspiring spaces where young people are seen, supported, and empowered to turn their stories into strength and their creativity into opportunity.
As Deputy Director of Starts with Arts Foundation, Anitra leads with the belief that art is not a privilege, it’s a power. A way of seeing, building, and transforming the world through creativity. She helps shape programs that open doors for youth through arts education, mentorship, and creative workforce development. From expanding ArtVanGo, a mobile art studio that brings hands-on experiences directly into neighborhoods, to building the Foundation’s future brick-and-mortar creative space, Anitra is committed to transforming access into opportunity. Her leadership connects teaching artists, schools, and families, building ecosystems where creativity fuels confidence, and talent becomes career.
Anitra often says she sees art in everything, because creativity is innovation. In a city like Tulsa, where a powerful tech hub meets a dynamic artist community, she sees endless potential to merge imagination with impact. Her work embodies that vision: using art as a catalyst for healing, learning, and transformation, and empowering the next generation to see themselves not just as artists, but as architects of the future.
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A proud first-generation American and lifelong advocate for educational equity, Aide Alquijay brings both lived experience and deep professional expertise to every space she leads. A graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in English and a teaching credential, Aide returned home to California’s Imperial Valley with a clear mission: to empower the next generation through culturally rooted, community-driven education.
Her career has spanned impactful roles within the youth migrant education program and the CUHS Law Enforcement Academy, where she championed student voice and designed pathways for leadership and growth. Her dynamic leadership and commitment were formally recognized when she was named Director of the English Department at Central Union High School—a testament to her influence as both an educator and mentor.
Aide is a master of building responsive, student-centered curriculum and an unwavering advocate for youth and their families. Her ability to bridge classroom learning with real-world impact makes her an invaluable asset to our foundation. As an advisor to our youth empowerment initiatives, she ensures our programming stays grounded in educational excellence, trauma-informed care, and authentic community connection.
Aide’s work reflects what we believe at our core: when educators lead with passion and purpose, entire communities rise.
