Art in Every Backpack: Bringing Creativity to Children in Migrant Camps

This summer, the Modesto Artists Movement is proud to relaunch one of our most heartfelt initiatives yet: Colores Del Futuro—bringing the transformative power of art directly to children living in Central Valley migrant camps.

Led by our passionate Visual Arts Ambassador, Veronica Torres, this project is about more than coloring books and crafts. It’s about igniting imagination, celebrating culture, and providing a creative outlet for young minds whose stories too often go untold.

Pictured here: Hien Ho and Veronica Torres with her creative consultants

Thanks to the generosity of Chalk Wild, the creators of the world’s first erasable, art-powered therapeutic backpack, every child we visit will receive a FREE backpack. These aren’t just school supplies—they’re canvases for self-expression, tools for healing, and symbols of possibility. This extraordinary gift was made possible by a generous grant from the Mary Stuart Rogers Foundation, a vital champion of youth and education in our region.

But we’re not stopping there.

We’re calling on our community—you—to help us fill these backpacks with inspiration. We’re collecting:

• Journals and notebooks

• Pens, pencils, and markers

• Small sketchbooks and art supplies

You can drop off your donations throughout June and July at Queen Bean Coffee & Social House (1126 14th Street, Modesto).

If you prefer to make a tax-deductible donation to support this project—or the many creative programs that make Modesto the next great city of art—you can contribute here.

This initiative is a reminder that art isn’t just something we hang on a wall. It’s something we carry with us. It’s something we give.

Let’s make sure every child we reach this summer carries more than a backpack. Let’s help them carry hope, color, and the belief that their voice matters.

—Modesto Artists Movement
Build Community. Celebrate People. Elevate Art.