Teen Programs

Youth Board of Artists (YBA) is a program where teens are hired and paid to develop group projects, connect teens to the HPAC community, and represent the Art Center at public events.

This year, YBA participants will work to connect young people to HPAC’s art exhibitions, programming, and artist residencies by planning events of their choice. This group will meet weekly on Thursdays from 4:30-6:30pm. Accepted applicants are paid a stipend for their work and participation. This program is by application only.

Learn how to throw, hand build, glaze and SELL your ceramics artwork at Hyde Park Art Center art sales!

This program will educate students in music production, recording, and the music business. Teens will learn skills to make their own music, learn about the music business, and have the knowledge to protect their musical works. Laptops, Ableton Pro and mixing controllers are provided. An application review is required to join.

Do you love making art on your own? Do you want to enhance your drawing skills and learn about street art styles?  Then this program is for you. A subset of Artshop- The Next Sun Rising will look deeper into the prominent issues of our times, and how artists have used art in protest and social justice movements. Projects will explore working together on multimedia including Ceramics this term.  Independent projects will be supported by providing free materials to all students enrolled.

Work independently to create original, 2D animated content for their portfolio. Learn to pitch, write, design, and execute scenes in a studio setting, learn skills for creating backgrounds, assets, characters, rigs, animations, and post-production editing and effects. Software: Toon Boom Harmony Advanced, Adobe: After Effects, Audition, Premiere Pro. No prior animation experience is necessary, tablets are provided by Purdue University. Instructor, Derek G. Larson from Purdue University.

Led by Teaching Artist Rhonda Wheatley, this two-year intensive program is for dedicated teen artists in 2022-23. Advanced Teen Track is specifically for teens driven to art in college. The Epstein Teen Artist Advanced Track pushes artists to develop skills through studio programs; one-on-one mentoring with teaching artists, Art Center staff, Art Center resident artists; discussions; artist studio and gallery visits; field trips; public presentations; and exhibitions. Teens also meet with professionals to support college planning. Epstein Teen Advanced Track artists receive a stipend to support their full participation.

*Participation includes occasional weekends and non-CPS attendance days throughout the academic year. Applications to join the 2022 cohort are open now for Winter term.

This program is supported by the Epstein Family Foundation.

Teen Photo programs are a great opportunity for you to explore and build photography skills in the field. Teen Photo will focus on street photography where you will be invited to shoot outdoors. Sponsored by Columbia College Chicago’s Photography Department, these courses are tuition-free, with cameras provided, and field trips that explore digital and darkroom photography techniques throughout the course.

Intro to Photo Wednesdays starting Jan 10th – March 14th 2023 for 10 weeks
Taught by Tony Smith
430-630pm, in-person, at the Art Center.

The Guida Family Fund for Creativity made possible an upgrade to the digital equipment essential for Teen Photo and Advanced Photo Portfolio.

Offered in Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters, these courses are for students with intermediate to advanced photography skills.

You’ll be exposed to a variety of photographic genres, styles and techniques throughout the course to help you broaden ideas of what a photographic portfolio can be. Hands on workshops with demonstrations will be the primary focus of the course to walk home with a personal portfolio of photographic prints.

Participants must have already taken Teen Photography at Hyde Park Art Center (listed above).

Advanced Photo Portfolio
Tuesdays starting Jan 10th – March 14th, 2023 5:00- 6:30p for 10 weeks

The Guida Family Fund for Creativity made possible an upgrade to the digital equipment essential for Teen Photo and Advanced Photo Portfolio.

Teen EQUITY and Action (TEA) is a new program that focuses on supporting a small, dedicated team in fostering critical community conversations. This group of teens will engage with other teens, Teen Captains, collaborate with equity team staff, and HPAC board members in leading the work of structural change and transparency.