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Where the art is, the kids follow

The Youth Arts Corps, started nine years ago in St. Petersburg, now offers free classes at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art.

By JANE MADDEN WELCH
Published June 19, 2006

	[Times photo: Scott Keeler]
	Students work on a mural that examines their own identities during a Youth Arts Corps session Wednesday at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art. The corps is offering classes in photography, painting, clay, sculpture and jewelry design in Largo this summer and will expand its offerings when school starts again.

LARGO - A youth arts program popular with kids who lack access to formal art training has expanded to Largo.

And, as it has been in St. Petersburg, the response is encouraging.

"The objective of the camp is to expose students to art experiences they might not get otherwise," said Rachel Stewart, program coordinator for Youth Arts Corps, which recently opened a series of classes at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art in Largo.

The summer camp is similar to the popular arts program the corps has offered in St. Petersburg since 1997.

"We target neighborhoods that are underserved by the arts," said Mary Ann Assiff, the founding director and program developer for the Youth Arts Corps.Classes in Largo began May 22 with 50 students ages 13 to 17 divided into four groups. Each group rotates through four two-week sessions in photography, painting, clay sculpture and jewelry design.

And that's just a start.

In August, the Youth Arts Corps will begin an afterschool schedule of workshops including dance, percussion, graphics, poetry, metal-smithing and theater at the Gulf Coast Museum of Art. All classes are free and are taught by professional artists.The classes are open to students ages 13 to 17 who live in Pinellas County.

The Youth Arts Corps also recently expanded the job-training opportunities it offers to teens. After being screened, participants can become paid interns at area arts and cultural facilities or may be paid to be an art teacher's assistant.

The Youth Arts Corps used to be under the auspices of the Pinellas County Arts Council, but in 2004 it moved to Family Resources, a nonprofit organization.That change has helped the program grow, Assiff said.

There is often a waiting list for the St. Petersburg program. The Youth Arts Corps served 250 children there last year and hopes to reach at least 150 children this year with the Largo program, Assiff said.

Stewart said the response has been great at the new Largo location.

"The kids have explored new dimensions and turned out some beautiful work," she said.

Professional jewelry designer Carol Jenrette teaches Youth Arts Corps classes in Largo.

"When the students first arrive, they're very tentative," Jenrette said. "But as they get familiar with art tools, they relax and start to have some fun."

Jenrette shows the students basic jewelry design, working primarily with copper and nickel. Students learn how to make cold connections, a technique for riveting.

"Jewelry is unique because it's wearable art," Jenrette said. "The kids are all so pleased to wear something they created."

TO LEARN MORE:

For information or to register for Youth Arts Corps classes in Largo, call 518-6833, ext. 301. Afterschool classes begin in August. For Youth Arts Corps classes in St. Petersburg, call 552-1825 or visit www.family-resources.org. The Gulf Coast Museum of Art is at 12211 Walsingham Road in Largo.

[Last modified June 19, 2006, 07:42:40]