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By Christine
Imbs
Typically,
summer jobs for teenagers involve wearing a polyester uniform
and asking patrons, “Do you want fries with that?” But thanks
to St. Louis ArtWorks, young artists ages 14 to 19 have been gaining
life skills, boosting their self-esteem and pocketing a hard-earned
paycheck—all while doing something they love.
"This is definitely
not your average job," says Priscilla Block, executive director
of St. Louis ArtWorks. "Each year we hire 150 kids as apprentices;
110 for our summer program and the rest for our year-round program.
Our goal is to not only teach them individual artistic disciplines,
but the business of being an artist, as well."
Working in
collaboration with community organizations around the city, such
as Craft Alliance, the St. Louis Community College, and Modern
American Dance Company, St. Louis ArtWorks has for the past 13
years offered its young apprentices the opportunity to work with
some of the regionÕs most notable artists. The artwork they produce
is either sold at a public retail sale, commissioned for public
and private clients, or performed publicly. As a result, at the
end of their apprenticeship the kids come away with a resume and
a portfolio of real work, not to mention a lasting set of experiences.
In June four
young artists from St. Louis ArtWorks' social venture, Boomerang
Press, participated in the 2008 All-America City Award competition
in Tampa, Fla. Boomerang Press produces commissioned art for greeting
cards, posters and other printed materials, generating sustainable
new forms of revenues for its parent organization. The All-America
City Award competition is considered the "Oscar" of community
recognition for civic progress and improvement. Led by the St.
Louis RCGA, Boomerang Press was selected as one of several organizations
to best represent the region by demonstrating community-wide civic
accomplishments, cross-sector cooperation, grassroots participation,
and creative approaches to a variety of issues, including at-risk
youth.
"It was the
pinnacle of job training," Block says. "They participated alongside
Mayor Francis Slay and 20 other civic leaders in a roundtable
discussion about how to compete together, which is something they
did do on a national platform. They even went out to nice dinners
with everyone."
And they were
prepared. Block says one of the first things the kids learn while
in the program is how to introduce themselves.
"I drill it
into them. How to shake someone's hand and maintain eye contact.
How to answer someone's question or explain what you're doing
in a few short sentences," she explains. "I know I drive them
nuts with this, but I believe itÕs the most important step in
anyoneÕs career."
They also
learn how to work as a team, how to think creatively, and how
to work within a deadline. And working on commissioned artwork,
they get the experience of meeting their clients, preparing a
project budget and seeing their work installed. While in Tampa
all this training came together. Not only did the kids get to
represent St. Louis, but they interviewed with a national client
at Busch Gardens. As a result, Busch Entertainment commissioned
Boomerang Press to create a holiday card illustrating the new
Jungala Village at Busch Gardens.
"Prior to
leaving on our trip, we'd gone through things like how to dress
for a business trip and etiquette training. And to see in their
faces things beginning to click and the realization, "So that's
why we needed to learn this.' It was priceless," says Block. "It
helped them feel so much more comfortable. Hopefully as they come
into more opportunities in their adult lives it will remain with
them.Ó"
Block says
St. Louis ArtWorks came about after several of its founding members
noticed quite a number of kids employed during the summer with
Operation Brightside picking up trash in alleys. They thought
there had to be a better way to provide them with a hopeful future.
"Jill McGuire
of the Regional Arts Commission knew of a program in Chicago called
Gallery 37," Block explains. "So a group of St. Louis civic leaders
visited it and came away with everything they needed to start
St. Louis ArtWorks."
The first
program was held during the summer in 1995 at the First Baptist
Church on Grand Avenue. Today, it's located in the Centene Center
for Arts and Education, and approximately 400 kids apply to the
summer program each year.
"What we'd
like to do is sustain the growth we've had over the past few years,
and look at ways to build our capacity so we can provide the same
one-on-one services to our summer kids that we do for the kids
year-round," Block comments. 'It's such an important and unique
opportunity for the youths in our area. And it's very rewarding."
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