The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) announces an award of $25,000 for its pre-teen and teen education programs from The Bellwether Foundation, Inc. CAM is dedicated to increasing exposure to the arts for young people in St. Louis, with a special focus on those who attend Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS). The Bellwether Foundation grant supports CAM’s commitment to provide art education opportunities onsite at the museum and offsite with school districts and community partners.
“We are thrilled that The Bellwether Foundation has selected us for this grant,” says Lisa Melandri, CAM Executive Director. “We greatly appreciate the recognition this gives our Learning and Engagement program, which serves as many as 5,000 young people each year, approximately 3,000 of those in our pre-teen and teen education programs. All CAM education programs are free, and The Bellwether Foundation grant helps us allow them to remain so.”
CAM programs that will benefit from The Bellwether Foundation grant include:
- Vashon High School Partnership, now in its third year, with CAM teaching artists collaborating with Vashon faculty to teach introductory and elective art courses through a project-based curricula
- ArtReach Drop-in Workshops with middle and high-school students in St. Louis Public Schools
- ArtReach Intensives, long-term workshops designed for specific student populations
- Field Trips/Tour Programs, in which students travel to the museum for guided tours led by CAM staff; such tours bridge the gap for students with limited access to experiences with contemporary visual culture
- AP Portfolio Day, where professors and art professionals review the work of Advanced Placement students, assisting students in preparing portfolios for college and employment applications
- New Art in the Neighborhood/Teen Museum Studies/LEAP Middle School Initiative offer intensive onsite instruction into contemporary art practice and the museum profession, offering young artists with mentorship and a collaborative environment
For more information about CAM’s pre-teen and teen programs visit camstl.org/programs/teens.