Education
Outreach Programs
The Hyde Park Art Center reaches over 4,000 young people annually with visual art workshops and classes in Chicago Public Schools, parks, and community centers in the neighborhoods surrounding it on Chicago's south side. These thriving programs are training teachers, reinforcing curriculum within schools, as well as teaching positive life skills, job skills, creative problem-solving, and high quality visual art techniques.
Pathways Program
The Art Center has developed an outreach model that focuses on a core group of schools that has the objectives of:
- Developing visual art skills and appreciation in students in South Side CPS schools, creating more engaged students;
- Providing access to the Center’s on-site Oakman Clinton School and Studios for inclined students in these programs;
This Pathways Program includes the initiation of a K-12 Learning Pathway for students in core partner schools that allows students to both build upon their skills, and also to self-select for augmented opportunities as they develop. Our belief is that students who move through the pathway will not only develop high-level art-making skills, but will become more engaged learners, and develop their own identities as creative individuals. To do this, the Center provides yearlong visual arts residencies in elementary and middle schools, as well as a destination for high school students who are interested in the visual arts to continue to develop their artistic skills and practice with professional artists through our Youth Art Board.
Customized Outreach—Community and School Partnerships
The Hyde Park Art Center collaborates with over 25 community organizations and schools each year giving people of all ages access to high quality art training and professional artists. These customized workshops, courses and longer-term residencies all provide hands-on activities and skill-building arts experiences led by professional teaching artists. At many of our collaborating schools, the Art Center partners with teachers to create integrated arts curricula. While at other schools and community sites, the Art Center serves to bring in diverse media-based lessons for a fine-arts curriculum.
Each of the Hyde Park Art Center’s community outreach programs is tailored to fit the needs of particular partners. The Art Center’s education staff works directly with educators, parents, program coordinators, artists, principals and other community members to develop custom programs in a variety of visual art media.
Visual arts programs can be created for students ages 3 - adult and for groups of five to 30 students. We invite both elementary and secondary schools and community groups across the city to join us in partnership to transform learning and teaching through the arts.
Email generalinfo[at]hydeparkart.org or call (773) 324-5520.
