Apply to As We Bloom, our summer/fall ArtWorks V² Gallery program

*Self portrait © Asa Featherstone, IV, 2020*

About the Youth Artist Exhibition Program & ArtWorks V² Gallery

The Youth Artist Exhibition program through the ArtWorks V² Gallery offers youth (ages 16-23) the opportunity to collaborate with outstanding Lead Artists in creating new works of art for a themed exhibit. The Lead Artist(s) will guide youth in the materials and methods of of their practice. The program results in a group exhibition with all works for sale and proceeds going directly to the Youth Artists.

Local curators and museum partners will enhance the learning with a foundational gallery exhibition curriculum for all emerging artists. Youth will represent their art through artist statements, gallery talks, opening events, and community events. Artists will host community workshops to engage with residents through art making activities during the run of each exhibit.

Late to the Party by Asa Featherstone, IV

Summer 2022 Youth Artist Exhibition Program: As We Bloom

Stories are the way of extending experiences across time and space. Produced in partnership by artist Asa Featherstone, IV and the ArtWorks V² Gallery, As We Bloom is a multi-media exhibition that shares a cohesive coming of age story across multiple eras. The exhibition is made up of displays produced by Featherstone and eight ArtWorks youth artist collaborators. Under the mentorship of Featherstone, Youth Artists explore different storytelling techniques including mobile, digital, film, photography, and personal interviews, capturing stories from a specific period of time in an individual’s life. As We Bloom, not only celebrates the transfer of information across generations, but also human connection and the challenging of perspectives. Youth Artists will produce individual and collaborative artwork.

As We Bloom is part of the 2022 FotoFocus Biennial. Now in its sixth iteration, the 2022 FotoFocus Biennial encompasses more than 100 projects at Participating Venues across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton, and Columbus, and features more than 600 artists, curators, and participants—the largest of its kind in America.

About the Artist:

Asa (AYE-suh) Featherstone, IV creates both short documentary and still photography that examines the human experience by bringing new perspectives to things widely understood. His work feels both personal and vulnerable in hopes that it can be used as a tool that allows us to learn more about one another and connect authentically. He has shown work in TIME Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Wavepool Gallery, and curated for the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Denver and Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), among others.

Learning Objectives:

– Youth Artists will produce individual and collaborative artwork

– Youth Artists will craft artist statements, descriptions of work, and describe their work and learnings in an Artist Talk

– Create a harmonious environment to help inspire everyone to develop and implement a vision that is consistent with their personal values.

Program Schedule:

Aug 17th – September 24th

– Wednesdays: 5:00pm – 7:00pm

– Saturdays: 10:00am – 2:00pm

Location:

ArtWorks Studios at Carl Solway Gallery

424 Findlay St

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Exhibition Dates:

October 17th – December 17th, 2022
There will be an opening reception with an artist talk on Monday, October 17th, 4:00pm-7:00pm.

Q&A:

– Who should apply? Youth ages 16 – 23
– What is the cost? There is no tuition required and all youth participants will be supplied with materials.
– Is this a paid opportunity? No. However, program participants will price and sell their work in the gallery. ArtWorks will take a 10% commission fee for any work sold. If you are interested in a paid Apprenticeship position, please visit the Job Opportunities page on our website at www.artworkscincinnati.org. IMPORTANT: THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE OPEN TO 8 YOUTH ARTISTS ONLY. Selected applicants will need to commit to attending all classes.

COVID-19 Protocol:

We highly encourage all ArtWorks artists to be fully vaccinated prior to working in the program. If you are not fully vaccinated, we ask that you please remain wearing your mask for the safety and protection of others.

The deadline to apply to As We Bloom is Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 11:59 PM EST. Apply here.

Apply to As We Bloom

About ArtWorks

ArtWorks is an award-winning Greater Cincinnati nonprofit that transforms people and places through investments in creativity. The organization collaborates with community organizations and residents, businesses, governments, foundations and nonprofits to build creative works of art that bolster the region’s global reputation as an arts destination. ArtWorks employs professional artists who inspire and mentor diverse teams of youth, ages 14-21, helping them build 21st century career-readiness skills. These teams have completed more than 14,000 public and private art projects in its 26 years, including more than 200 permanent outdoor murals.

About the Biennial

The 2022 FotoFocus Biennial, now in its sixth iteration, activates over 100 projects at museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces throughout Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio in October 2022. Each Biennial is structured around a unifying theme; for 2022 that theme, World Record, considers photography’s extensive record of life on earth while exploring humankind’s impact on the natural world. FotoFocus welcomes global artists, curators, critics, educators, and regional visitors to Cincinnati with exhibitions, talks, performances, screenings, and panel discussions during an expanded week of programming, September 29–October 8, 2022.