Each year St. Louis ArtWorks hires young adults, 14-19 years old, to work for six weeks with some of the region’s most notable artists. ArtWorks partners with other organizations to create a curriculum which teaches artistic discipline and the business of being an artist. The apprentices work on actual commissioned artwork and get the experience of meeting the clients, preparing a project budget and seeing their work to completion. Participants gain life-skills and field experience and walk away with a resume, portfolio and work reference.
Ranken is excited to announce that the College will be a new summer site during the 2011 summer program which begins on Monday, June 13. Thirty six apprentices will be working on campus learning skills in welding, plasma cutting, CAD design and carpentry. The students will be working on the following projects:
Kiosk for Old North
- Apprentices will design fabricate and install a kiosk for the Old North Farmers Market learning 3D design, welding, CAD design, plasma metal cutting and carpentry. Students will also create individual works of art for the yard or garden such as weather vanes, scarecrows and whirligigs.
BoomerRacks
- Apprentices will design and fabricate bike racks using "up-cycled" bike parts experiencing 3D design, welding, CAD design and plasma metal cutting creating new indoor bike racks suitable for corporations, homes or offices. The public racks will be made upon request. Students will create individual unique bike themed works of art using bike parts.
Pyrography & Red Hot Furniture
- Mid-century Danish design meets a new urban mythology as apprentices redeploy cast-off material into home furnishings and multicultural mash-ups with a focus on cutting edge design, beauty and sustainability.
Thank you to John Baima and Judd Hershfeld from Fabrication and Welding who will both be working with the students during their time at Ranken. Created in 1995, St. Louis ArtWorks has served more than 1400 youth by providing a unique job opportunity in the visual, literary and performing arts. For more information, visit www.stlartworks.org.
