Yes Arts: Mobilizing the Power of Community and the Arts to Disrupt the Cycle of Addiction

When we have the opportunity to celebrate the great work taking place in Kentucky, we make sure to SPROUT it out (our Bloom take on a Shout-Out!) when it comes to opioid abatement efforts.

Sometimes tragedy can be a catalyst for change. After losing her daughter to a heroin/fentanyl overdose in 2015, Doris Thurber, along with other local artists Joanna Hay and Jennifer Zingg, launched Hands Healing HeARTs with the goal of celebrating recovery. 

This seed of an idea grew into a 501(c)3 organization which later became known as Yes Arts with the mission of mobilizing the power of community and the arts to disrupt the cycle of addiction. 

Yes Arts, located in Franklin County, serves those in recovery, youth, and the surrounding community. 

ART – Achieving Recovery Together 

Yes Arts offers therapeutic arts services, through the ART (Achieving Recovery Together) Program, for people in recovery from substance use disorder in partnership with the Franklin County Drug Court and other local nonprofit partners. 

YAY – Yes Arts Youth 

YAY exists to create a safe, inclusive space for children of all ages and abilities to find strong mentors, lasting friendships and quality arts instruction to reduce the risk of falling into the cycle of addiction and to mitigate harm due to generational trauma. The Yes Arts programs follow evidence-based, data-driven practices and work within all stages of the cycle of addiction, from primary prevention to recovery.

Community + Opioid Abatement Funds 

In an effort to better align services and to create a system of care across the community, local organizations met in 2023 to develop a plan for applying opioid abatement commission funds. Many organizations who attended the local Agency for Substance Abuse Policy (ASAP) chapter were involved in the process. 

Together, the partners hosted weekly planning meetings where Yes Arts brought in a Strategic Planner to host sessions to help analyze local data, identify gaps in service, and barriers to care. After the groups identified the problems, they created measurable goals and outcomes and formed a shared narrative they each used to apply for funding. Among their supportive documents, they included their analysis of the local ecosystem of care. 

Yes Arts received funding from the Opioid Abatement Commission for their significant efforts in prevention.

Franklin Co.’s Ecosystem of Care

This is one of many great examples of prevention in action in the Commonwealth. Bloom Kentucky celebrates Yes Arts as they continue to serve as a beacon of HOPE in their community by creating safe and supportive relationships, stable and equitable environment, and opportunities for engagement and emotional growth.

Learn more about key takeaways from this process from current Executive Director, Elle Travis, in this information video.