Tonisha Alexander has the artistic touch.

Sitting astride a pottery wheel, the 17-year-old high school junior takes great pleasure in talking about her craft, ticking off details about the "pretty shapes" and "curvy designs" that are the trademarks of her often long and tedious ceramics creations. She credits much of what she's learned to professional mentors such as Rachel Euting, who observes and critiques her work a few feet away.

Yet, Alexander's artistic lessons haven't been confined to the creative process. She's also learned the importance of hitting deadlines, communicating with customers, setting prices, sharing profits and running a multifaceted photo studio. One day, she hopes to become an art therapist.

So it goes at MyARTS, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping at-risk youths in the Kansas City area develop not only their artistic talents but their business and financial smarts. About 50 students generally ages 15 to 19 are enrolled in MyARTS -- short for Metropolitan Youth Arts & Technology for Students.

The goal is to boost enrollment to 70 youths, who may be at risk for reasons ranging from poverty, single-parent upbringings, or alcohol and drugs. But it also can mean students who are "not focused or not being challenged in school," said Jade Osborne, another MyARTS artist mentor.

The arts program is coordinated through Jackson County's anti-drug prevention fund. It is one of the few in the country that focus on art and entrepreneurism, modeled after a groundbreaking program in Boston called Artists for Humanity.

MyARTS opened about two years ago, accelerating an effort by the prosecutor's office of Jackson County to provide a haven for teenage artists to develop their talents and self-esteem, learn about career opportunities in the art world, and be paid at a higher-than-minimum-wage rate in the process.

The year-round program is open to high schoolers from the county, and the application process can be rigorous. About 20 percent of the applicants get rejected, Osborne said. Once enrolled, most of the teens quickly embrace the regimen, which starts with a 72-hour apprenticeship designed to measure commitment and skills.

Teens who complete the apprenticeship qualify for a paid, part-time position starting at $7 an hour. Students also can make money by selling their art at benefit shows, or by referring clients to the center for specific projects.

The commissioned work, which includes a mural for the National Association of Basketball Coaches, helps pay some of the bills.

An afternoon in the studios reveals an ethnically diverse mix of teens, dressed casually, but neatly. They meet three to four days a week after school. The students quickly and quietly tackle their creations in five fully equipped studios: ceramics, photography, screen printing, painting and graphic design.

In the screen-printing studio, high schoolers Audrey Taylor and Cameron Guilfoil describe the sketchpad-to-production process for their bandannas, T-shirts and decorative creations. Nearby in another room, college freshman Angelique Plowright brushes paint onto a canvas.

Said Plowright: "I've learned how to sell and how to talk to customers. . . . I've grown a lot since I've been here."

Contact Steve Rosen at srosen@kcstar.com or write to him at The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108.