The creative juices are flowing in the warm confines of the Marwen studios this chilly winter afternoon.
Dozens of students ages 11 through 18 are standing in front of artists’ canvases, tables and mixing boards inside the loft building at 833 N. Orleans St.
Their work runs the gamut artistically–there are bold oil paintings, flashy videos, delicate ceramic figurines.
What is common among all the students is the determined look on their faces as they carefully manipulate the different artistic media.
“Watching the students at work is an amazing process,” said Antonia Contro, Marwen’s executive director. “The kids are so intent and serious and passionate about their work that you could hear a pin drop.”
Marwen is one of several private and public agencies across Chicago that cater to children, offering programs that expose them to the arts, and cultural and recreational opportunities.
“What we do, and what other organizations do for children, is essential,” Contro said. “There’s only so much a child can get from a school–but the learning process goes well beyond that.”
“Programs such as ours teach children how to express themselves,” said Catherine Martin, executive director of Youth Communication, which publishes New Expression, a citywide newspaper produced by and for high school students.
“That’s an important lesson that they might not fully comprehend in the classroom.”
At Marwen, for example, some 2,000 Chicago youths each year are offered art education free of charge. Two terms are offered, closely mirroring when school is in session.
“What we do is important because so few kids are getting art education within the context of their schools,” Contro said. “And art education is important for a young person’s total development.”
Rapid expansion
Chicago entrepreneur Steven Berkowitz, who wanted to provide the highest quality of art education free of charge to Chicago’s underserved children, founded the organization in 1987.
Marwen, named for his daughters Marcy and Wendy, has grown rapidly, doubling the number of studio courses offered and adding classes each term.
Two years ago Marwen moved to its present location: The 15,000-square-foot facility has six specialized studios, two galleries, a resource library, parents lounge and College and Career Center.
This winter classes include Oil Painting II: Color and Light; Painting on Glass: The Monotype; Painting on Wood: the Triptych; Ceramics: Humor in the Everyday; Photography: Experimental Techniques; Silk-Screening: The Art of the T; Cartoon Animation; and Zoom In: Video Art.
Several programs with an educational slant also are offered. This term, for example, career workshops on graphic and industrial design and museum professions are scheduled. College-oriented workshops on the ACT test also are scheduled.
The benefits of programs such as Youth Communication are wide-ranging, Martin said.
“We provide Chicago youths with a media voice,” Martin said. “We give them the opportunity to investigate issues that affect their lives.”
The program also supplements the education provided by the Chicago Public Schools and the city’s private schools.
“The Chicago Public Schools system doesn’t have the resources or the focus that we do,” Martin said.
The program serves about 100 Chicago high school students each year. It is housed in a second-floor loft space at Columbia College at 623 S. Wabash Ave.
In addition to producing the monthly New Expression newspaper and its Web site (www.newexpression.org), Youth Communication also conducts an eight-week summer urban-journalism workshop, as well as shorter journalism workshops during the year.
More than the basics
“The Chicago schools are much more concerned with providing the basics of education,” said Nancy Carstedt, the president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Children’s Choir, another city organization serving youth with arts education and programs.
“We’re here to go beyond the basics.”
Founded in 1956 and now housed at the Chicago Cultural Center, the choir each year reaches about 3,500 children between ages 8 and 18 in a variety of musical programs. There are 70 choirs in more than 50 schools and five after-school neighborhood-based choirs.
“The mission of the choir is to bring children of all backgrounds together,” Carstedt said.
This year, the organization is working with the Chicago Public Schools in launching the Charter School of the Chicago Children’s Choir. The school, 3737 S. Paulina St., opened last fall to some 150 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Another grade will be added each year, for a total of 450 students in Grades 4-12. It is the first arts-focused charter school.
Extra experiences
As with Marwen and Youth Communication, the biggest benefit of being in the choir is exposing children to programs not available in school.
“Our experience has been that for some kids, music is the key that unlocks their potential,” Carstedt said. “We use music as a vehicle to build self-esteem and responsibility.”
Another benefit is that organizations such as these help with a child’s development, improving school grades and making them more aware of their role in the community.
As Carstedt puts it: “We’re not in the business of creating opera stars; we’re in the business of creating solid citizens.”
But, she added, through their programs, they also see children who develop a lifelong passion for music.
“We’ve seen lots of student success stories because of their experiences with Youth Communication,” Martin said. “Our students perform well in their schools, go on to college and find jobs in the communications industry.”
She added, “What it comes down to is they’re very committed to what we do. They’re here, working and exploring, versus skateboarding or sitting home and watching television.”
Being involved [with a program such as Youth Communication] “gives you a chance to think for yourself,” said Marcus Johnson, 18, who spent four years with the organization while at Harper High School. “You learn a lot of life skills.”
Johnson, who graduated last year, said the program has inspired him to continue with his writing. He plans to attend Columbia this fall.
“This has built up my confidence. I’ve got lots of plans now,” said Johnson, who lives on the South Side.
Park District increases efforts
The efforts offered by the private organizations join a growing number of youth programs run by the city of Chicago–most notably those presented by the Chicago Park District.
The Park District offers hundreds of classes and activities for children at its parks and field houses.
“At any given time, there are at least several to a dozen programs running at a local park, depending on the size of that facility,” said Elizabeth Garza, area manager for the Park District’s Central Region.
Offering after-school programs as well as all-day programs during school breaks helps working parents, another benefit of the Park District’s efforts, Garza said. “We give them flexibility,” she said.
“But more importantly, with all the trauma out there, it’s important for kids to have opportunities like these to learn about positive choices, build up their self-esteem or develop their bodies.”
“I think what we do best is that we get kids to get to know themselves, and we get them to be participatory in the world,” Contro said. “We’re a positive force.”
Said Carstedt, “We have a saying around here that after a performance, when the kids bow down and the audience applauds, the kids come up a little bit taller.”
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For more information on the programs offered by:
Marwen, call 312-944-2418 or visit www.marwen.org.
Youth Communication, call 312-922-7150 or visit www.newexpression.org.
Chicago Children’s Choir, call 312-849-8300 or visit www.CCCHOIR.ORG.
Chicago Park District, call 312-742-PLAY (7529) or visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com.
