ARTS CENTER

THE ARTSCENTER'S YOUTH PROGRAM IS PARAMOUNT TO THE MISSION SINCE NEARLY HALF OF THE ARTSCENTER'S PATRONS ARE UNDER AGE 18. FOR OVER FORTY YEARS, ARTSCAMP HAS OFFERED WEEK-LONG SUMMER CAMP SESSIONS FOR GRADES K-9, ALL TAUGHT BY LOCAL PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS. OVER THESE NINE SUMMER WEEKS, AREA YOUTH EXPLORE OVER 150 ARTS EDUCATION CLASSES. CAMPS FOCUS ON SKILL DEVELOPMENT AND DISCOVERING CREATIVE VOICES. IN SUMMER 2024, ARTSCAMP AWARDED 29 ONE-WEEK SCHOLARSHIPS AND SERVED 1,287 CHILDREN. SESSIONS INCLUDED THE ARTFUL SCIENTIST AND UNDER THE SEA CERAMICS FOR GRADES K-2, ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION AND ARTICULATED POPUP PORTRAITS FOR GRADES 3-5, AND INTRODUCTION TO 3D PRINTING AND CLOTHING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION FOR GRADES 6-9.YOUTH AFTERSCHOOL PROVIDES ARTS ENRICHMENT AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DURING CRITICAL AFTERSCHOOL HOURS FOR CHAPEL HILL-CARRBORO YOUTH GRADES K-5. STUDENTS LEARN A VARIETY OF ARTISTIC STYLES, EXPLORE CULTURAL DIVERSITY, DELVE INTO SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, AND DEVELOP SOCIAL SKILLS BY WORKING IN PEER GROUPS. STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN NEW ART CLASSES EACH MONTH EXPLORING TECHNIQUES SUCH AS MIXED MEDIA, PRINTING & DYING, AND ART LESSONS INSPIRED BY THE MASTERS. IN 2024, NINETY-NINE STUDENTS ATTENDED AFTERSCHOOL FOR EITHER A FULL FIVE-DAY WEEK OR A THREE-DAY WEEK. YOUTH AFTERSCHOOL OFFERS AT LEAST 9 FULL-TIME SCHOLARSHIPS EACH YEAR.

ARTSCHOOL SERVES AS THE LARGEST RESOURCE IN ORANGE COUNTY FOR LEARNERS OF ALL AGES TO EXPLORE THEIR ARTISTIC CAPACITY AND CREATIVITY. SESSIONS ARE OFFERED QUARTERLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT VARIOUS SKILL LEVELS IN AREAS SUCH AS PAINTING, DIGITAL ARTS, WRITING, CERAMICS, IMPROV, FIBER ARTS, DANCE, 3D PRINTING, LASER CUTTING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND MORE. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, LOCAL PROFESSIONAL TEACHING ARTISTS ENCOURAGE EMERGING ARTISTS AND INCREASE COMMUNITY APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS. IN 2024, ARTSCHOOL OFFERED 321 CLASSES SERVING RESIDENTS OF THE GREATER TRIANGLE AREA INCLUDING DURHAM, HILLSBOROUGH, PITTSBORO, APEX, MEBANE, AND RALEIGH. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS LEARN NEW SKILLS WHILE ALSO DEVELOPING FULLER AND MORE EMPATHETIC PERSPECTIVES ON OTHER CULTURES AND VIEWPOINTS. THESE EXPERIENCES CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT IS HEALTHY, VIBRANT AND EQUITABLE.