YOUTH ART TEAM

PUBLIC ART PROJECTS - PUBLIC ART PROJECTS ARE THE MOST PUBLICLY-VISIBLE PROGRAMS OF YOUTH ART TEAM. TRADITIONALLY, EACH YEAR YOUTH ART TEAM ARTISTS TAKE ON ONE LARGE-SCALE PUBLIC ART PROJECTOR "FLAGSHIP PROJECT" THAT REFLECTS THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION AND INVOLVES COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP. YOUTH ART TEAM ARTISTS COMPLETED ONE MAJOR PUBLIC ART PROJECT AND LAUNCHED A NEW MAJOR PROJECT IN 2023. YOUTH ART TEAM COMPLETED AN ACCESSIBLE ARTS INSTALLATION INSPIRED BY A DESIRE TO ENGAGE YOUNG BLIND OR VISUALLY IMPAIRED YOUTH. THE INSTALLATION WAS DESIGNED TO BE EXPERIENCED BY VISITORS USING ALL OF THEIR SENSES. TO CREATE THE ROOM-SIZED INSTALLATION, YOUTH ART TEAM ARTISTS LEARNED ABOUT VARIED LEVELS OF ABILITY FIRST-HAND THROUGH INTERVIEWS/INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED COMMUNITY AND THROUGH INTERVIEWS WITH TWO PRACTICING ARTISTS. YOUTH ARTISTS EXPERIMENTED WITH VISION SIMULATION GOGGLES TO LEARN HOW VISION IMPAIRMENT AND TOTAL VISION LOSS CAN AFFECT SIMPLE DAILY TASKS, AND HOW THOSE WITH IMPAIRMENTS *CAN* ENGAGE WITH FINE ART, THROUGH TACTILE MATERIAL USE AND ACTIVATING OTHER SENSES. ARTISTS WERE PLACED IN POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT. AS PART OF YOUTH ART TEAM'S OVERARCHING PRACTICE, THE CREATIVE DIRECTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE FINAL PROJECT WAS LED BY THE ARTISTS. MEANT TO BE EXPERIENCED BY PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES, ACCESSIBLE INSTALLATION WAS AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING. OLDER ARTISTS WERE LEADERS IN TEACHING YOUNGER ARTISTS HOW TO USE TOOLS SUCH AS ORBITAL SANDERS AND DRILLS; THEY ALSO LED YOUNGER ARTISTS BY EXAMPLE IN CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING AND TEAMWORK. YOUTH ART TEAM HELD A PUBLIC CELEBRATION OF THE PROJECT IN JUNE AND INVITED COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES TO EXPERIENCE THE INSTALLATION. OVER 150 PEOPLE ATTENDED. YOUTH ART TEAM ARTISTS LAUNCHED THEIR CURRENT FLAGSHIP PROJECT, ELEVATE, DURING FALL PROJECT SESSIONS IN 2023. WITH VOLUNTEER LEADERS, ARTISTS SET OUT ON MINI FIELD TRIPS INTO SOME OF THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS. THEY EXPLORED PARKS, BRIDGES, WALLS, GARDENS, AND MORE, SEARCHING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ELEVATE PUBLIC SPACES THROUGH ART. EIGHT PROPOSALS WERE WRITTEN AND SUBMITTED BY 14 YOUTH ART TEAM ARTISTS. LEAD YOUTH ART TEAM ARTISTS THEN REVIEWED THE PROPOSALS, AND ONE ROSE TO THE TOP. ELEVATE IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON A MURAL PROJECT IN WATERLOO'S UNITY NEIGHBORHOOD. THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED DURING THE SUMMER OF 2024. ADDITIONAL 2023 ARTS PROGRAMMING INCLUDED ONE WEEK-LONG SUMMER CAMP, WEEKLY OPEN STUDIO SESSIONS (HELD ON TUESDAY AFTERNOONS FROM MID-JANUARY THROUGH THE END OF MAY AND IN NOVEMBER), AND SEVERAL SMALL COMMISSIONS OF INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS MADE BY YOUTH ART TEAM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AND CIVIC ENTITIES SUCH AS THE CITY OF WATERLOO. ARTISTS ALSO ATTENDED LOCAL PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCES AND HOSTED ONE PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE BY A STRING QUARTET AT YOUTH ART TEAM HEADQUARTERS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ANOTHER LOCAL ARTS ORGANIZATION. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WORK, AND VISIT THE CEDAR VALLEY ARE IMPACTED BY YOUTH ART TEAM'S EXISTING PUBLIC ARTWORKS AND SEE THEM EVERY DAY. YOUTH AND ADULTS DIRECTLY ENGAGE INDIVIDUALLY AND WITH ONE ANOTHER TO CREATE THE ARTS PROJECTS DESCRIBED ABOVE; OTHERS (COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND VISITORS/TOURISTS) ARE REACHED THROUGH EXHIBITIONS, PUBLIC EVENTS, AND EVERYDAY VISIBILITY THROUGHOUT 2023.

CREATIVE JOB TRAINING - JOB SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EXPANDED IN 2023 TO MEET THE NEEDS OF SPECIFIC YOUTH ART TEAM ARTISTS, TO PROVIDE PATHWAYS TOWARD GRADUATION AND FUTURE EMPLOYMENT GOALS, AND TO SUPPORT ARTISTS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TAKING ON PROFESSIONAL COMMISSIONS. YOUTH ART TEAM EMPLOYED A TOTAL OF 8 ARTISTS (PAST AND PRESENT) IN 2023 TO ASSIST WITH WEEKLY TASKS AT HEADQUARTERS, SUCH AS EVENT PREP, INVENTORYING, CLEANING, AND COMING ALONGSIDE YOUNGER ARTISTS THROUGH PROJECTS AT SUMMER CAMP AND INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONS. YOUTH ART TEAM PROVIDED 24 INDIVIDUAL JOB SHADOW EXPERIENCES FOR THE LEAD TEAM OF ARTISTS OVER THE SUMMER OF 2023. THEY SHADOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN POSITIONS RANGING FROM VETERINARY CARE AND NURSING TO INTERIOR DESIGN, PHYSICAL TRAINING, AND VARIOUS TRADES. THEY ARE PREPARED BY STAFF AND MENTORS TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT INVITE THE PROFESSIONALS TO SHARE THEIR OWN STORIES ABOUT THEIR PATHS THROUGH SCHOOLING, WHETHER TRADE SCHOOL, ASSOCIATES OR BACHELORS, OR STRAIGHT INTO WORK. THIS PROGRAM IS TWO-PRONGED: (1) ARTISTS ARE GAINING FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE IN THEIR INTEREST AREAS WHILE CONNECTING THE DOTS AROUND PREREQUISITE EDUCATION; (2) THEY ARE BUILDING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE EAGER FOR THEM TO SUCCEED. THROUGH THE PROGRAMMATIC AREAS DESCRIBED ABOVE, YOUTH ART TEAM DIRECTLY SERVED 304 YOUTH AND 419 ADULTS*, WHILE REACHING AN ADDITIONAL AUDIENCE OF APPROXIMATELY 6000-7000 PEOPLE THAT ENGAGE EVERY YEAR WITH YOUTH ART TEAM'S EXISTING PUBLIC ART PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THE "OUR FREEDOM STORY" MURAL ALONG THE CEDAR RIVERFRONT AND CLASSROOM MURALS WITHIN THE GROUT MUSEUM. ITS STRIKING PUBLIC ART PROJECTS ARE USED REGULARLY IN DIGITAL AND PRINT MEDIA BY AREA BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS. YOUTH ART TEAM IS A CIVIC PARTNER WHOSE WORK SPURS TOURISM, HOME SALES, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.