About
About Open Canvas Project
Creative support for grieving youth in El Dorado and Sacramento counties.
About Open Canvas Project
Open Canvas Project supports grieving youth through emotionally safe, professionally guided art experiences. We serve children and teens ages 6–18, with a special focus on bereaved youth in El Dorado and Sacramento counties.
We create spaces where young people can express what may be difficult to say out loud, connect with others, and experience care through creativity.
Our Mission
We exist to ensure that no grieving child has to carry loss alone.
Everything we do is shaped by that promise: to offer compassionate, creative support that helps grieving youth feel seen, supported, and less alone. Our sessions are free to attend, with no fee for participation or materials.
Why Art?
Grief can be hard for children and teens to name. Art offers another way in. Through color, texture, movement, and making, young people can explore feelings, remember loved ones, and share their experiences in ways that feel natural and safe.
Art becomes:
- A language for feelings that are hard to express
- A gentle outlet for grief, memory, and emotion
- A bridge to connection with peers and caring adults
- A way to build confidence, calm, and hope
We believe healing can begin with something as simple as:
- Picking up a paintbrush
- Making a collage
- Creating beside someone who understands
- Having space to remember and feel
Our Flagship Program
heARTbrushes Guided Art Grief Circles
Our flagship program brings grieving youth together in guided art grief circles designed to feel calm, welcoming, and emotionally safe. These sessions are free to attend, with no fee for participation or materials, and offer structured creative experiences that help participants express emotions, honor memories, and connect with others who understand grief.
Each circle is built to support both individual expression and shared connection, giving children and teens room to create, reflect, and feel supported in community.
Founder Story
Open Canvas Project was founded by Teo Weldon after leading a grief-support art session for bereaved children and teens with Kate Clark in the Sacramento region.
During the session, children were invited to gather around large tables filled with paint, canvases, brushes, and creative materials. What followed was immediate and remarkable participation from every child and teen present — many expressing themselves through art in ways that traditional conversation alone may not have allowed.
The experience deeply resonated with Teo, whose own relationship with art began after losing his mother at the age of ten. Creative expression became an important emotional outlet during a difficult period of grief and transition, ultimately shaping both his artistic life and his belief in the healing power of creativity.
Recognizing the profound need for emotionally safe, art-centered grief support for youth, Open Canvas Project was created to help ensure that grieving children have a place where expression, healing, and connection are possible.
Professional Guidance & Partnership
Our sessions are designed to be emotionally safe, thoughtfully facilitated, and rooted in care. Open Canvas Project values collaboration with families, community partners, and professionals who share a commitment to supporting grieving youth. There is no fee for participation or materials.
By working together, we can expand access to meaningful grief support and create more spaces where children and teens feel understood.
Looking Ahead
As Open Canvas Project grows, we hope to reach more youth, deepen community partnerships, and continue building creative pathways for healing in northern California.
We are committed to growing with care, staying grounded in our mission, and making sure more grieving children have access to support that feels human, hopeful, and healing.