Sarah Garlow, a 21-year-old Lawrence resident, used to be a lot like students attending the University of Kansas. She was going to college out of her home state of Kansas and living a normal college life, except that she was dealing with depression. The depression was so debilitating that it was hard for her to go to class, Garlow says. Garlow eventually decided to leave the University and moved back home to Lawrence, but she needed a job to support herself. Like most people on a job search, she checked the classified ads where she came across a listing for Van Go Mobile Arts. Before long she’d signed a yearlong contract and was ready to work.

Van Go, located at 715 New Jersey St., is a program that pays youths ages 14-21 to do commissioned artwork around Lawrence and in surrounding communities. Youths must be living in poverty or have a condition, such as depression or a learning disorder, that causes them difficulties in school to be accepted into the program. The program is divided into two groups, JAMS (Jobs in the Arts Make Sense) for 14 to 18-year-olds and Life JAMS for 18 to 21-year-olds. JAMS accepts 21 kids at a time and holds three 8-week sessions a year. Kids may return as many times as they’d like. Life JAMS is made up of six people, and each signs a yearlong contract. Van Go is more than just a job, though. The program cares about its participants. Sometimes the staff give participants a self-esteem boost, but other times it works to help them achieve life goals, according to Program Director Jim Lewis.

“We try to help the kids figure out what they want to do next, “ Lewis says. “We help them apply for financial aid, help them fill out applications and the social worker takes them on field trips to job sites so that they know what’s out there.”

While most Van Go participants don’t go on to work in the art field, Danielle Christie, a 20-year-old from St. Joseph, Mo, would like to take up art, specifically photography, as a profession. She says she hopes being in Van Go will land her an internship as well as improve her overall ability as an artist.

“I learn about different kinds of art,” Christie says. “I will be able to improve my skills.”

Cathy Ledeker, Van Go’s art director, has been with the program for about eight years. She came up with the group’s current project, which is to make a nature scene out of pillars and decorate it with recycled items. Recently, Life JAMS members worked on this project by doing things like meticulously gluing tightly rolled newspaper to cardboard poles. Ledeker says she was originally attracted to her position at Van Go because she likes the kids and she has the ability to create projects that are innovative and unique.

Some of their more famous projects include the painted benches downtown, the mural outside the Lawrence Public Library and another mural in City Hall. Because the year is divided into three sessions, there are usually three main projects throughout the year. In the summer, the group works on benches, which sell for around $800, according to Lewis. Patrons of these works of art include local stores and the City of Lawrence itself. In the spring they create a mural, and in the fall there are a variety of activities, including beading, fabric work and glass making. Some of their crafts are sold during the group’s annual Adornment Show, which takes place every year after Thanksgiving. The group also spends time working on commissioned pieces.

While the commissioned pieces and shows help with the cost of running the program, various grants and foundations pay for the bulk of Van Go’s expenses. Kids in the JAMS group start out at minimum wage, with the opportunity for raises, and the Life JAMS group makes a few dollars more. 21-year-old Van Go participant Andre Padilla says he makes $8.70 an hour.

Van Go will soon expand, with a construction project to be completed in the summer. The new space will allow Van Go to broaden its programming and help more youths in need. For more information about Van Go, visit its Web site at www.van-go.org, or stop by in person to buy a piece of art.