The AIGA LINK Program is a fantastic, free, non-profit program for high school students that has been changing the lives of Seattle area teens since 1994. Glenn Mitsui and Paula Wong founded LINK to give students a safe, welcoming environment to gain confidence in themselves and their peers through arts programming, scholarships, and a pathway to professional education in arts and design.

LINK’s first workshops were hosted at Franklin High School. Since then, our students have joined us at different locations all around Seattle. Today, we connect young people with a different working artist each month, make portfolio pieces using different mediums, hold a gallery show of our students' work at the end of the year, and award scholarships to our graduating seniors.

LINK is a part of the Coyne Foundation's vision to support low-income students and young artists who face institutional barriers to arts and design programming by helping them develop their own creative portfolios and strengthen their path to success.

LINK’s team of dedicated volunteers work to break down institutional barriers to art and design. We demystify the journeys of creative professionals and celebrate each student’s journey along the way. Over the course of the year, we connect self-discovery and self-expression to a sense of history, purpose, community, and justice. Beyond art, LINK is a way to build confidence and help young people envision their futures after high school, benefiting from the many ways that art and design enrich our lives.

We’re proud to report that The AIGA LINK Program's success has inspired similar programs across the nation.