However, I will be in a coffee shop in South Boulder, CO during regular open studio hours if you still want to hang out, drink tea, read, work, etc.

Shoot me a text and I will tell you where exactly we are :)   

love, dylan

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Resulting from the generous donations from a variety of community members and resources we have successfully raised the money needed to support Sent(a)Mental Studios and the HAVEN YOUTH PROJECT for an ENTIRE year !

More updates coming soon !!!!

- LOVE, DYLAN

** if you haven't seen it already - take a few minutes to check out this video created by my awesome friends at improbable pictures

WOW! WE ARE 1/2 WAY THERE !!!

I have been so moved by the awesome amount of support – financially, verbally, as well as by hearing testimony from old students, friends, and community that I have been working with over the years – it warms my heart, fills my spirit, and confirms that i have been on the right path with my life - and now as we are at the midpoint of this fundraising effort - and with the generous financial support of 130 community members and many more active messengers that have been re-posting and sharing information with friends, family, etc – we have officially reached 50% of the $12,000 it would take to support the studio for an ENTIRE YEAR.

We have also received some awesome coverage from the Westword and the Advocate - so please check out the links below and share as you like.

THE WESTWORD _ Dylan Scholinski seeks donations in his mission to bring art to troubled kids with gender issues

THE ADVOCATE _ WATCH: Support Art As Suicide Prevention for LGBT Youth

I am so thankful to have some of the funding necessary to assist the studio and its student and to feel community coming together in support of this work. Thank you so much for your continued support. Soon I will be going to replenish some of the art supplies and tools… and to those of you who have sponsored a student – they are already expressing a feeling of some pressure lifted. Won’t you please consider giving us a push today to keep the momentum going – there are many ways to help in getting the word out – post/share on your social networks and direct your community,family, and friends to the work of sent(a)mental studios and how helpful supporting this work can be.

The success of this campaign will depend greatly on the continued community support and of course none of this would be possible without the continued and generous support of friends like you.

thank you in advance.
love, dylan

****************************
click on this link and go directly to the amazing video about the project (generously created by Improbable Pictures) and details about the projects and fundraiser

http://igg.me/at/SENTAMENTALSTUDIOS/x/950782
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a testimony by Gina de Vries

“I’ve known Dylan Scholinski for going on 16 years (!). Above all, I have always been awed by Dylan’s immense generosity of spirit and his commitment to building community — especially for queer, trans, and gender-variant youth living at the margins (and I say this having met Dylan when I was 14 — I am one of those queer kids whose life he changed). Dylan is just one of most thoroughly GOOD people I have ever met. He puts his entire heart into every single thing he does. I am so blessed to know him, and so excited for this project. Give as much as you can, people, and please spread the word!”

- Gina de Vries

a testimony from Shannon Price Minter - currently the Legal Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), one of the nation’s leading advocacy organizations for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people

“I cannot emphasize enough how much I support this project. I have known Dylan for 20 years. He is the real deal. He was put into a psychiatric hospital for 3 years, from the age of 15 to 18, for being “too masculine” for a girl. Think about that—spending 3 years of your life being treated as mentally ill because of who you are. I do not know how he survived. But somehow, he did. Maybe because he is an artist and found a way to express the scarring pain he experienced. And to help others. Dylan is one of the kindest, most patient, empathetic people I have ever met. He helped me enormously when I first came to NCLR, and had no clue what on earth I was doing. His encouragement and support helped me continue to believe in what I was doing, even as I was so keenly aware of my own shortcomings and lack of knowledge. Sometimes, it was only his support that helped me keep the focus on children and young people who are abused and destroyed by mental health professionals who tell them they are sick, wrong, or abnormal. I owe him so much, and so does our entire community. He is a natural born healer, who has helped countless young people and others who were told they are crazy, no good, not worth saving. Please spread this message far and wide, and contribute if you can.”

- Shannon Price Minter

The short bit - suicide continues to be on the rise and youth are dying younger and younger still. i have been opening my studio for nearly 25 years - doing what i can to support the variety of issues that confront the youth of our time... and now i really need your support to continue in this work.

I recently renamed the Sent(a)Mental Studios Youth Project - the HAVEN YOUTH PROJECT - after a young person who successfully suicided last year on Valentines Day - just 2 days after her 13th birthday. Together, with the permission of Haven's family, we imagined that Haven could carry on by way of her name and inspiration - to provide safe space, opportunities, and creative outlets for youth to express the feelings and experiences they face when navigating the variety of transitions in their lives.

HAVEN YOUTH PROJECT, as well as many other projects of Sent(a)Mental Studios are supported mainly by Founder/Witness Dylan Scholinski - as well as by additional financial contributions and art supply donations from a variety of community members. Over the 2011/12 school year Sent(a)Mental Studios interacted with over 1,000 young people and its looking like that number is increasing in the current 2012/13 school year. Also in the past couple of years the studio has expanded to include a 2nd location, increased off-site youth groups, classes, open studio environments at conferences and pride events - as well as expanded open studio hours that include open hours over holidays, school vacations, and summer programing.

At this point, i need more than what my love, dedication, and support of this project can provide. Never before has "every little bit helps" rang more true to me - and this is where you can really help.

$12,000 in total will support the project for an entire year.

please help us reach our goal - Visit the INDIEGOGO page and make a donation today !

love, dylan

the
lead with your heart project
is now showing at
THE CENTER in Denver Colorado

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado

Show Dates
January 14th - March 29th 2013

Location
1301 E Colfax
Denver, CO 80218

Hours
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday - Friday
Noon to 8 p.m. -- Saturday

please take the time to witness and support
this courageous display of hearts from the
many youth of HAVEN -
the sent(a)mental studios youth project.

love, dylan

click below to enlarge for more information

THIS WEEKEND ONLY

PLEASE consider JOINING US 
for a VERY SPECIAL OPEN STUDIOS

This weekend the regularly scheduled open studios for the haven youth project will join CHIP (the Children's Hospital Immunodeficiency Program) at REDLINE DENVER to help create art to be donated for auction in the upcoming annual Telluride AIDS Benefit which will benefit many programs - including CHIP.

I hope to see you there.

love, dylan

Saturday Jan. 12th from 10am - 3pm 
REDLINE DENVER - COMMUNITY SPACE
2350 Arapahoe Street, Denver CO

"what i like about working with you is - you don't study art therapy dylan, you live art therapy - by continually inventing art therapies that i find useful in my journey"

- said to me by a student over the holiday break

Click on the image above to see the wish list from students of the haven youth project and sent(a)mental studios. Having so much to express this holiday season won't you please consider them in you giving this year :)

love, dylan

By JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN 
Published: DECEMBER 1, 2012

I wanted to announce what we’re calling THE DECEMBER PROJECT, a reachout by Dylan Scholinski, Mara Keisling, Jennifer Finney Boylan, and Helen Boyd to raise the spirits of people in the trans community during what can be a difficult time of year.

We are trans activists, homebodies, authors, parents, spouses, artists, and teachers, including a trans man, two trans women, and a loving spouse.  Here’s our pledge to you: If you feel low this December, and need someone to talk to, contact us, and we’ll call you on the phone.  Period.

We want to make clear that we are not therapists, and that anyone in a serious crisis should dial 911, or seek professional help from qualified folks in the helping professions.

On the other hand we are people who may have experienced what you are feeling, and it is our hope that simply having someone to listen or talk to this December will have value.   This project is 100% free and no one involved in it is getting anything out of it other than the opportunity to help.

Trans people– and the people that love them– face unique challenges during the holidays.  Too often we can find ourselves separated from families, from spouses and children and parents.  It’s a time of year that, as Dickens well noted, can be the most haunted of all, a time when we travel in time and feel all too keenly the distance between ourselves and others, when what we most desire is warmth, and community, and love.

So think of us as friends you haven’t met yet.  Want to talk to somebody on the phone?  Here’s what to do: 1) send an email to Jenny Boylan at JB@jenniferboylan.net, and in the subject heading write, DECEMBER PROJECT.  List your name, your phone number, and the time when we can reach you–preferably with a few different choices.  Let us know which one of us you want to talk to.

You can also contact people directly through Facebook  – ask to “friend” Jennifer Finney Boylan and then make your request through the Direct Message page, and JFB will forward your request to the person you’ve asked for. (or if you’re friends with Mara, or Helen, or Dylan, you can contact them directly too.)

If we can’t reach you, or if the person you’ve requested isn’t available, we’ll let you know that too.  Also, if we get overwhelmed, we’ll also tell you that.

So let us help.  And you don’t need to be in trouble to participate in the December Project.  If you want to celebrate all the good things in your life and share your sense of joy– we’re good with that too.

Who we are:

Helen Boyd is an author of 2 books, including MY HUSBAND BETTY, an account of life with a trans spouse.  She is a well regarded spokeswoman for trans people and the people that love them, especially spouses and partners.  She’s a Lecturer in Gender and Freshman Studies at Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

Jennifer Finney Boylan, an author of 13 books including SHE’S NOT THERE: A LIFE IN TWO GENDERS.  An English teacher at Colby College in Maine, a trans woman, wife to Deirdre Boylan, and mother (or “Maddy”) to two fine young men, Zach and Sean.  Serves on the board of directors of GLAAD and on the board of trustees at the Kinsey Institute.

Mara Keisling is founding executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.  She is well known as a commentator on trans issues; she lives in Washington DC.

Dylan Scholinski was born Daphne Scholinski. He currently lives in Boulder, CO with his beautiful wife and 4 year old son and is the Founder/Witness of Sent(a)Mental Studios as well as a distinguished artist, author and public speaker. His most recent book was The Last Time I Wore a Dress, listed by Out Magazine as one of its Top Ten Must Reads.

Email for The December Project:
jb@jenniferboylan.net
FB: Jennifer Finney Boylan

ANNOUNCEMENT CLICK HERE