The Manhattan Beach City Council approved the Youth Art Education Initiative on August 18th, a program which will give committed teen artists the opportunity to practice art on a more serious level.
At the City Council meeting on August 18th the Manhattan Beach Art Lab program was presented by the Cultural Arts Staff. The proposal was approved with a vote of 4-1.
“I think the art lab will be a good addition to Manhattan Beach and will give artistic teens a place to express their creativity,” Mira Costa art student Nicole Poirier said.
The new art lab is specifically for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 who are interested in creating art. It will be designed to allow a limited number of high schoolers the opportunity to practice and create art in a more advanced setting.
“The goal of the art lab is to create an art making environment in which young artists can explore art outside of school and focus on making work of their individual interests,” Cultural arts manager Martin Betz said.
The Manhattan Beach Art Education Initiative will include everything from art supplies to mentoring from professional artists for art students to become successful in the studio. The Art lab’s prospected cost will be a little over $24,000.
“Art lab will include time to work with two professional artists for the duration of the program and will also get to meet visiting artists who are having exhibitions at the Manhattan Beach Art Center,” Betz said.
The art lab will also give students who want to attend an art college the opportunity to build up an art portfolio, which includes artwork created by the student throughout high school. Art students will also gain knowledge from numerous professional artists that would not be available in high school classes.
“The Manhattan Beach Art Education Initiative should be a creative enhancement to the range of classes offered by the city for all ages,” City Councilman David Lesser said.
The Manhattan Beach art lab is scheduled to open in October. Sessions will be held in the Manhattan Beach Art Center on Wednesdays from 3-7pm and on Friday from 6-10 pm.
“The program is designed to give students a chance to spend a block of time working on projects and will be opened in October which is also national arts month.” Betz said.
The art lab will only be accepting 30 applicants to participate in the program. Applications will be available by the end of September and Mira Costa students will be given top priority over other artists.
“The only real application process will be to have a passion for art and sign an agreement to attend the program and take the opportunity seriously,” Betz said.
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