Meet Boxx The Artist
Boxx The Artist is a full-time, visual artist based in Indianapolis. She grew up with a grandmother who saw her potential before she could name it herself. “Draw me something,” Boxx recalls her grandma saying to her when she was a child. Those early sketches planted seeds that would later grow into murals and gallery exhibitions across the city, as well as a career where she nurtures that same artistic spark in others.
That is what Boxx now brings to Outreach’s summer art workshop series. She invites participants into a space free from judgment and heavy on possibility, in which paint, mixed media, and photography are tools for expression. Often, it’s a young person’s first time picking up a brush.
“The first step in anything is being open to the idea of creating and the idea that you are a creator,” she said.
Each workshop is a mix of skill-building and self-discovery. Local professional artists join in, guiding participants while encouraging them to follow their instincts. For some, the process feels like art therapy. For others, it’s simply a new way to share who they are.
“This particular program allows me to connect with the youth and to show them the creators that they are as well,” Boxx said. “I could see certain things and be the one that is there to inspire them, to open them up, to get them out of their comfort zones.”
The project culminates in Outreach’s annual Transform event, where the young artists’ work is shared with the community. But the impact is measured long before and after that night. It’s in the moment a young person realizes they have something worth saying and a new way to say it.
Boxx believes art is a universal language that can bridge divides and reveal light in even the darkest places. Growing up, she saw both the challenges and beauty of her community. Her work and her teaching aim to honor that light: “Whether it’s painting, whether it’s music, whether it’s writing … we’re all creatives.”
That’s why, at Outreach, we work to meet more than just the basic necessities of the youth who need our assistance. We want to provide them with opportunities for joy and expression. We want them to know there is much more to life than simply surviving.
