Learning Art: Youth program pairs teens with professional artists

LEARNING ART

Youth program pairs teens with professional artists
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A program of the Ann Arbor Art Center

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•About 30 Ann Arbor
Public Schools pupils in the
13-15 age range will
participate.

By DON FABER

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

If summer employment as an ap-
prentice artist sounds appealing,
stARTwork is the program for you.

Based on a model in Chicago
stARTwork debuts in Ann Arbo
this summer through the city-fund-
ed Youth Challenge Program.
Teen-agers will be employed as ap-
prentices and placed in a studio
with a professional artist-in-
structor.

StARTwork organizers say their
goal is to provide teens with the op-
portunity to leam artistic skills
while earning money. Students are
paid the federal minimum wage of
$4.25 an hour.

In addition to learning responsi-
bility, teamwork, and commitment,
apprentices also will receive a wage
from the Youth Challenge Program
and leam skills necessary to suc-
ceed in the workplace.

Bringing StARTwork here is the
brain child of^Marsha Chamberiin,
executive director of the AmTSrBof
Art Center, and her staff.

In Chicago, kids who participated

in a program matching artists with
at-risk youngsters "had better at-
tendance rates at school, a higher
grade point average and tended to
Iw more involved in school activi-

" says Chamberlin.

We think stARTwork addresses
several things," continues Cham-
berlin, "including the issue of
gangs, the fact teens complain
about having nothing to do, and how
important it is for kids to get a job."

The program will draw about 30
kids in the 13-15 age rai; ; ''• 'm the
Ann Arbor Public Sc; Appli-
cants must meet family income cri-
teria because the program is de-
signed as an opportunity for low-
income teen-agers. Some evidence
of a receiving public assistance or a
family income at or below current
federal * poverty levels also would
qualify.

StARTwork \^ ^ippt from youth
participating :>f Ann Ar-
bor's Youth Challenge Program
through an interview process. The
youth will apply, naming the studio

by subject matter in which they
want to work.

Applicants will also be asked to
gather or create artwork samples
for the interview. Artwork does not
need to be framed or mounted.

Applications and brochures will
be available at the Ann Arbor Com-
munity Center, the Ann Arbor Art
Center and Bryant Community
Center on Wednesday. Deadline for
receipt of applications is June 20.

Prop : t es are July 1'Aug. 22.
Studio _.^ will be in one down-
town site, under a big tent at Main
and William behind the Amoco
station.

Plans call for the teens to work
Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-2
p.m. The studios will be open, so the
public can drop by to watch the kids
work.

With an instructor looking on, ap-
prentices will work on painting
(acrylic and/or oil), ceramic tile-
making and sequential art - comic
book production ~ which involves
planning a story, writing and

research.
Works produced by the students

are the property of the program and
will be displayed or sold to benefit
the program.

Professional artists participating
are Amy Hanks, painter: Jennifer
Graft, ceramics; and Lee daddies,
sequential artist.

Although the City of Ann Arbor
and the Art Center are the main
players, StARTwork wouldn't be
possible without a strong coopera-
tive effort among many groups in
the community.

These include the the Ann Arbor
Area Community Foundation, Ann
Arbor Public Schools, Bryant Corn
munity Center, the Home Builders
Association of Washtenaw County.
and the Ann Arbor Transportation
Authority.

Kim Roberts, stARTwork coordi-
nator, says, "The fact we're getting
dollar support from different ele-
ments of the community says a lot
about Ann Arbor." Her own salary,
for example, is paid by the Ann Ar^
bor Area Community Foundation*
P'or more information about the
program, call Roberts at 994-8004.

StARTwork, says Chamberlin, "is
a meaningful collaboration between
multiple agencies in the city to pro-
vide a high quality program for
kids."