Who We Are
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With your help, we are doing some good work in our community. A portion of your tuition goes to fund need-based art scholarships at Firstlight, and also to support these amazing programs.
We provide art classes for children separated from their family.
Children fleeing dangerous countries end up in short-term foster care right here in Nashville. We have a program to teach these kids for the brief time they’re here, with a class at their special school in Nashville, once a week. They love hearing instruction in their own language, and getting to express themselves freely. We are very thankful to be able to provide this for them.
Touchstone Youth Resource Services
We’ve supported this non-profit for many years. They have made a huge difference in so many young people’s lives, mainly through their CiViL groups. These small, life-changing discussion groups are conducted at the schools and neighborhoods where disadvantaged young people are living.
From their WEBSITE:
We inspire change by helping youth…
Franktown Open Hearts
This group also works with young people to train and equip them for making their way in the world. Here is their statement from their WEBSITE:
Franktown Open Hearts is a non-profit organization committed to the success of Franklin’s inner-city youth. We provide Christ-centered mentoring through weekly vocational education and experiences that prepare our underserved youth for the future.
In 2006, our founder, Dennas Davis, looked around for an art class for his children. He was very surprised to discover there was nothing available. There were programs for every other kind of activity and creative endeavor, but not for traditional art.
So, finding some time on his hands, and the credentials to fix this problem, he decided to start teaching on the side. People loved the classes, so he called it a school and named it Firstlight.
As an internationally known designer and illustrator with over 5 million books in print, and clients such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Forbes, RCA, and Nabisco, Dennas knows how to make art work as a profession. As an accomplished painter, he also knows how be creative just for the fun of it.
Firstlight doubled in size every year, and continued grow – until he had to move into Cool Springs and hire a top-notch team of teachers to help.
After 16 years of art classes, we have instructed over 3000 students of all ages, from 4 to adult. Many students attend until they graduate, and some adults have been with us for the entire journey.
We hope you’ll find what you’re looking for when you come to Firstlight. Our goal is to make sure artists reach their goals. To do that, we seek to encourage every artist at their own level and their own pace. We want to unlock the doors that block creative understanding and freedom.
The world needs happy artists!
Books Dennas has illustrated