___A TEEN___ TECHNOLOGY ___HAVEN____ _____________

ART LAB+

_________________________An Executive Summary

Esther ProbstFebruary 8, 2014ARTLAB+The ARTLAB+ program is one of the public programs sponsored by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington DC. It is a free afterschool program for any teen between thirteen to nineteen years of age. The space is a relaxed environment for teens to come

together, collaborate, and hang out. The space’s operating hours are Monday through Friday 3-7 p.m. During these hours, teens are able to come and go as they please.

INSIDE ARTLAB+Inside ARTLAB+ there is a buzz and a hum of excitement. Students are tinkering on their projects, playing video games, or working with their mentors. The space is enveloped in light. The bright colors lure one in, bean bags and bright purple foam couches are scattered around the space. Against the walls are state-of-the-art Apple computers filled with the newest and coolest software. There’s a sound studio, a film lab, a dark room, an animation studio and so much more. The ARTLAB+ participants’ work is seen all over the place in their various stages of completion. The spirit of innovation is all encompassing, engrossing and contagious.

WHAT ARTLAB+ IS ALL ABOUTARTLAB+ provides a safe space for students to explore,and to engage with students their age that share their interests. Their motto is “HOMAGO,” which stands for “hang out, mess around, and geek out” ("ArtLab Plus | A Digital Drop-In Studio for Teens!", 2013). This approach creates an extremely laid back environment for its participants. The students are able to learn at their own pace. The program gives teens the opportunity to choose what they want to learn and participate in. This concept empowers teens to discover what they are interested in for themselves.

The TEENS of ARTLAB+Teens who would like to participate in ARTLAB+ do not need to have any experience in art making in order to participate. It’s open to every teen who would like to be a part of their artmaking community. Teens just need to fill out a registration form and take a picture for the photo ID and they become a part of the ARTLAB community (A. Meadows, personal communication, February 4, 2015). Teens who are participants have no time commitment or obligation to arrive on certain days or times; they can come when they want or when they are available during the programs operating hours.

When speaking with Ashley Meadows, Cyber Navigator for ARTLAB+, she states that the open participation model forces the team of mentors, educators, coordinators to be extremely flexible. There have been times when Meadows and her peers have created an awesome, innovative workshop, but no students come in that day. On the other hand, there may be a day when there is a shortage of staff on hand and thirty-five student walk in excited to participate.

Also, since the program does not have any pre-requisites on skill levels in order for teens to participate the ARTLAB+ mentors have to be able to lead a workshop with with teens of varying skill levels in a certain media (A. Meadows, personal communication, February 4, 2015). Mentors have to extend their time and talents to meet all of the teens’ expectations. Flexibility and patience are key requirements for all mentors of the program.

THE WEEKLY AGENDA The after school program begins at 3 p.m. Teens begin to file in from about 3 to 5 p.m. where they are able to play video games, mingle, make music, or create whatever they please in the sunny, vibrant space. At 5 p.m. a gong rings, which marks the opening of studio time. “Studio time is productive time for teens to build their personal portfolio, focus on their own projects, or participate in a mentor-led, skill-building workshop” ("ArtLab Plus | A Digital Drop-In Studio for Teens!", 2013).

Each day of the week has a different studio objective. Each Monday is entitled ‘Monday Makin’,” where students are able to conceive, create, and generate their works digitally or with their hands. On Tuesdays, students delve into the world of photography and design. Teens are able to develop and generate a character, on Character Design Wednesdays! Teens have the chance to master director, or composer on Thursday A/V day. Lastly, on Friday is 3-D day! Teens learn how to create 3D models, they also have the opportunity to learn the software to bring their 3-D models to life through animation software. With all of these programs the teens are given access to cameras, computers, green screens, tablets, supplies for art making, and access to all of Adobe’s software ("ArtLab Plus | A Digital Drop-In Studio for Teens!", 2013).

The awesome ARTLAB+ team educates and mentors the teens. Each mentor has their area of expertise and prowess. That mentor will go and lead workshops and demos, hang out, or help the teens produce their work for the particular day of the week it is. They are not there simply to be educators, but also to be helpful advisors and friends with the students.

ARTLAB+ EventsIn the spring, ARTLAB+ teens organize and run and Open Mic night at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden. Teens are able to see what it takes to put on an event from start to finish. During the event students share the music they have created, showcase a dance, or recite their spoken word poetry. This event gives the teens an opportunity to celebrate their work and share it with their friends and loved ones.

ARTLAB+ also partners with other affiliates of the Smithsonian Institution. The program has reached out to these museums to hire the teens for Production Teams. The teens can put their knowledge and skills that they learned at ARTLAB+ to the test. The Production Team teens are paid to take photographs or create videos or video games for a Smithsonian event or Smithsonian project (A. Meadows, personal communication, February 4, 2015). This gives the teens experience in a work environment, which is a wonderful opportunity for the students.

SYNOPSISARTLAB+ is an amazing free after school program offered in DC. Despite its mellow, easy-going environment, it is a space of extreme energy, work and creativity. The teens are always working, collaborating or engaged with their work. ARTLAB+ gives them a place to go, a place where they can explore their passions, and provides them with the know-how and equipment to do so. Students then are given the opportunity to showcase their work on the ARTLAB+ website or during its Open Mic Night. Students are given work opportunities within the Smithsonian Institution, which creates unique, valuable and exciting opportunities.

REFERENCES

ArtLabPlus | A Digital Drop-In Studio for Teens! (2013, January 1). Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://artlabplus.si.edu/#page_id=14

Ashley Meadows (museum educator) in discussion with the author, February 2015.