CalmLab™ was created in Salt Lake City, Utah, to help students pause, reset, and successfully return to learning through evidence-informed emotional regulation environments that preserve instructional time, strengthen student well-being, and support positive educational outcomes.

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Every school has students who need a reset.
Few have the space to make it happen.

WHY NOW?

Utah Has Identified Student Well-Being as a Statewide Priority.

The 2025 Utah Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) Survey highlights continued progress in youth health while emphasizing the importance of investing in emotional well-being, school connectedness, and student engagement.

Key findings include:

• Lifetime marijuana use declined from 9.5% to 6.2%.

• Vaping experimentation declined by approximately one-third.

• Serious consideration of suicide declined by 28.4%.

While these outcomes are encouraging, the report emphasizes that strengthening students' emotional regulation, resilience, and sense of belonging remains a priority for schools across Utah.

CalmLab™ was developed to help schools respond to these priorities by providing a dedicated environment where students can pause, reset, self-regulate, and successfully return to learning.

Source: Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Substance Use and Mental Health. 2025 Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) Survey.

Pilot Results

Internal Pilot Evaluation | November 2025 – February 2026

Key Performance Indicators

200+
Student Sessions

3.2 Minutes
Average Reset Time

84%
Functional Re-engagement Within 5 Minutes

89%
Positive Student Outcomes

Source: Art Over Destruction. Internal CalmLab™ Pilot Evaluation, November 2025–February 2026.

How CalmLab Works

A Simple Four-Step Reset

1. Enter
   Student enters the CalmLab space.

2. Regulate
   Guided tools help reduce stress and restore emotional balance.

3. Reset
   Focus, self-control, and readiness return.

4. Rejoin
   Student returns to class ready to learn.

One goal.

Protect instructional time while building lifelong self-regulation skills.

Trusted by Organizations Supporting Utah Youth

Since 2012, Art Over Destruction has collaborated with schools, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, businesses, and public agencies committed to improving outcomes for young people.

Saifar "BASHA" Nisar

Founder & Executive Director

Founded: 2012
Students Served: 20,000+
Programs Delivered: 14+ Years

Saifar "BASHA" Nisar is the Founder and Executive Director of Art Over Destruction, a Utah-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit he established in 2012 while attending the University of Utah. Guided by the belief that creativity can transform lives, he has grown the organization from grassroots community art workshops into an innovative nonprofit that has served more than 20,000 students through schools, youth organizations, healthcare providers, and community partnerships.

BASHA is the creator of Absgraff® (Abstract Graffiti), an original contemporary art movement that merges abstraction, graffiti, and fine art into a distinctive visual language. Through his studio and design house, BASHA Worldwide, he has developed a body of work recognized for its originality, bold visual identity, and commitment to authentic creative expression.

A published and award-winning contemporary artist, BASHA has been featured in Salt Lake Magazine, 15 Bytes, Voyage Utah, and the books Art of Everyday Joe and Art for the People by Michael K. Corbin. His work and the Absgraff movement have also been presented in an academic lecture at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.

His artwork has reached audiences through exhibitions, publications, collections, and creative collaborations spanning Beijing, London, Switzerland, Paris, Tokyo, Vancouver, Montreal, Seattle, Chicago, New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and throughout the Intermountain West.

Inspired by his background in street art and contemporary visual culture, BASHA founded Art Over Destruction to ensure the next generation of artists, creatives, and innovators have access to opportunities he believed every young person deserves.

For more than a decade, he has developed interdisciplinary programs that integrate art, wellness, education, STEM, and emerging artificial intelligence technologies to strengthen emotional regulation, creative confidence, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

Under his leadership, Art Over Destruction has become recognized for designing evidence-informed learning environments where creativity supports measurable educational and wellness outcomes.

Today, BASHA leads the organization's long-term vision through CalmLab™, a next-generation creative emotional regulation environment that combines art, neuroscience-informed practices, and technology to help students reset, self-regulate, and thrive both inside and beyond the classroom.

His work continues to bridge contemporary art, education, wellness, and innovation, demonstrating how creativity can serve not only as a form of expression, but as a catalyst for personal growth, community impact, and meaningful social change.

Saifar "BASHA" Nisar

Founder & Executive Director

Leadership In Action

For more than a decade, BASHA has led creative education programs, community workshops, international speaking engagements, and youth mentorship initiatives that demonstrate Art Over Destruction's mission in action. Each experience reflects the organization's commitment to using creativity as a catalyst for confidence, emotional well-being, and lifelong learning.

Impact at a Glance

• 20,000+ Students Served

• Founded 2012

• Utah-Based 501(c)(3)

• International Programs

• Creator of Absgraff®

• Founder of CalmLab™

Hamza Shariff Nisar

Vice President

Founded: 2012
Students Impacted: 20,000+
Years of Service: 14+

Hamza Shariff Nisar serves as Vice President of Art Over Destruction (AOD), a Utah-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through creativity, education, and innovation. Since joining the organization in 2012, he has played an integral role in its growth, advancing from Program Assistant to Vice President through more than a decade of leadership, service, and community engagement.

Hamza has helped expand educational initiatives that have impacted more than 20,000 students through schools, healthcare organizations, youth programs, and community partnerships. His leadership has supported community outreach, youth mentorship, classroom instruction, program development, nonprofit operations, and strategic partnerships that continue to strengthen the organization's long-term impact.

Hamza has worked directly with students, educators, and community organizations to help deliver evidence-informed programs focused on creativity, emotional well-being, STEM, and emerging artificial intelligence technologies.

His collaborative leadership and commitment to service have helped advance Art Over Destruction's mission of empowering the next generation of artists, creators, and innovators.

Beyond his nonprofit leadership, Hamza is the Creative Director at 801 MADE®, a prominent Salt Lake City street-wear brand inspired by Utah's creative culture. His experience in branding, design, visual communication, and creative direction contributes to Art Over Destruction's identity, public engagement, and future growth.

As Vice President, Hamza provides strategic leadership across programming, operations, community partnerships, and organizational development, helping advance Art Over Destruction's mission of empowering the next generation through creativity, education, and innovation.

Hamza Shariff Nisar

Vice President

Leadership In Action

For more than a decade, Hamza has helped transform Art Over Destruction's vision into meaningful community impact through program leadership, youth mentorship, and organizational development.

His commitment to service, creativity, and innovation continues to strengthen the organization's ability to empower young people, expand educational opportunities, and inspire the next generation of artists, creators, and leaders.

Art Over Destruction (AOD) — 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization
1066 E 2100 S, Suite 11
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106

Programs

CalmLab™ Emotional Regulation Environments • Creative Regulation Labs • Creative STEM Learning • Youth Arts Access

Helping schools and communities build calmer learning environments where young people can pause, reset, and thrive.

© 2026 Art Over Destruction. All rights reserved.