Outreach Programs
The Hyde Park Art Center initiated its first community outreach programs in the early eighties. Through its initiatives, both community-based and school-based programs, the Art Center now reaches over 4,000 young people annually with visual art workshops and classes in the schools, parks, housing projects, and community centers throughout the South Side. In addition, these programs serve communities from the Near West Side on the North, to Chatham on the South, New City and West Englewood on the West, to the Near South and South Shore on the East. 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.
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 Info or (773) 324-5520
Gallery Visits/Field Trips
The Hyde Park Art Center utilizes its diverse exhibitions schedule, featuring an eye-popping range of contemporary art and artists, to engage school groups in educational programming and teach them about art processes-both conceptual and technical. The Art Center coordinates guided tours free of charge, with advance notice, offering visitors the opportunity to experience contemporary artwork by Chicago artists in an accessible gallery setting. Teacher packets and materials, as well as adjunct educational programming with hands-on activities in the studios, are available for all of the exhibitions. The Hyde Park Art Center encourages student groups to visit the Art Center galleries and studios.