Angelica Monsour

Angelica Monsour

Degree Completed

BFA in Studio Art/Graphic Design

Artist Statement

As a former foster child and artist/designer, I use art and design to create awareness about adoption, social justice, and non-profit design. Along with my brothers, I was adopted when I was young. This experience inspires me to create work that not only illustrates my personal struggles with adoption, but also confronts misconceptions and stigma. Adoption and foster care are widely misunderstood, and I am committed to create a non-profit that supports outreach and create positive messaging for aged-out foster youth. 

Foster Art Alliance is a design concept for a non-profit that supports the community of aged-out foster youth and builds awareness to their situation. Aged out youth is a term used in the adoption system for adolescents who are not adopted before the age of 18 or 21 and can no longer live in the state provided group homes. The aging out process causes issues for these young adults who have no support system. For many, this could be homelessness, unemployment, and lack of education. 

Foster Art Alliance helps aged out youth afford college expenses through the sale of art made by the foster community and a subscription box that donates all funds to the cause. The subscription box is marketed towards foster communities and families who have adopted or are fostering child. Artwork created and shared by foster youth artists will be highlighted and available for sale. The sales will directly go back to the foster community by helping fund housing grants and school supplies. Showcasing foster artists builds community through connection in art and shared experiences in adoption/foster care. The three goals of the Foster Art Alliances are, 1) to inform others of the hardships aged out youth face, 2) to create a community for the foster demographic and 3) to inspire growth towards an educational future for aged out youth.