Rainier Valley teens now have access to a free professional-level art program every Saturday night at the 2100 Building Art Studio on 24th Avenue South at Rainier Avenue South near Mt. Baker.
Teen Art Studios-Rainier Valley (TAS) was launched earlier this year by Gage Academy of Art as a three-month pilot program modeled after the popular Capitol Hill program that’s been a fixture at Gage, attracting thousands of teens from across the region since its inception in 2001.
Thanks to generous funding from the Lucky Seven Foundation and the Mark & Susan Torrance Foundation, Gage has taken steps to ensure that the three-month pilot program continues as a key, and permanent, part of the Youth Programs at Gage.
“The goal of TAS has always been to create a safe, accessible and approachable place for teens to engage in and create art,” said Sharon Arnold, Youth Programs Manager at Gage. “Teen Art Studios provides an opportunity to hang out with friends, create works of art, play with new ideas, think creatively and abstractly, and even build a portfolio for college.”
Each month a different professional artist leads teen artists in exploring a new art form. Students receive focused instruction and a chance to try different mediums and subject matter from traditional art school fare like figure drawing and abstract painting to installation and recycled art.
This month, teaching artist Noah Grusgott will lead Figurative Casting and Installation. Next month, Susanna Bluhm will teach Painting from Memory & Imagery, and October will see Lauren Holloway leading Urban Arts & Graffiti Jewelry.
The TAS-Rainier Valley pilot program averaged 18 students each week and offered a free way for teens to explore silk-screen printmaking, self portraits in pastel, and wood-block printmaking. One teen said, “After coming to this art class, I see the world around me in a whole new way — everything is art.”
Teen Art Studios-Rainier Valley – open to youth ages 13-18 – runs Saturday nights from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. All art materials and free refreshments are provided.
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{ 1 comment }
Gage is an incredible arts school. The founders are good people.
G
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