ArtsPlace 2008

Rockford College Clark Arts Center

June 16 - August 7

10:30 - 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday

In 1995 the Rockford Area Arts Council created ArtsPlace, an innovative program that provides Rockford area youth ages 14-19 with job training in the arts. The "artist apprentices" work in teams under the guidance of professional teaching artists, selected with care by the Arts Council for their talent and ability to form positive working relationships with young people. The teams work in a variety of media, including furniture painting, garden mosaics, murals, pastels, theater arts and dance.

The artist apprentices learn valuable skills, which are applicable to future employment, such as how to get and keep a job; the weekly paycheck they earn is calculated on their attendance, punctuality, attitude, and productivity. They learn that to be successful at their jobs they must practice good teamwork skills, and they develop other skills vital to the workplace such as problem solving, teamwork, decision-making, and good communications.

Of course they also produce quality artwork sold at the retail ArtsPlace Store, and sell tickets to their performances. It's all part of the "business of art:" it's a real job!

ArtsPlace is...an eight-week summer program of the Rockford Area Arts Council from mid-June to mid-August, 10:30am to 4pm, Monday-Thursday. Interested youth ages 14-19 may contact the Arts Council for job application information.

The ArtsPlace gallery and visual arts studios this year will be at Rockford College, 5050 E. State Street, Rockford, IL.

2008 Applications will be available on March 15 and due to the Arts Council by April 25. Applications will be available on-line or at the Arts Council office.