Works In Progress

Works In Progress began with a commitment from the Kirkland Arts Center to form more partnerships with other community oriented arts nonprofits in the region. As an art center whose exhibition programming focuses on featuring art work that engages in meaningful cultural dialogue, the Kirkland Arts Center drew on their background working with at-risk youth in the arts to form the foundation the exhibition would be built on.

Featuring art works from Seattle based organizations Youth in Focus, YouthCare as well as the Kirkland Art Center’s own Make Your Mark program, Works in Progress gives a glimpse into how these mission driven organizations work with professional artists to develop curriculum to support youth in developing their own voice through the arts.

Youth in Focus

The mission of Youth in Focus is to empower youth, through photography, to experience their world in new ways and to make positive choices for their lives. We put cameras in the hands of youth and place them in a challenging environment surrounded by high quality talented teachers, nurturing adult volunteer mentors, and create a strong community of support. Through photography our students find their voice, identity, creativity, and gain new confidence in their worth and abilities.

YouthCare

YouthCare works to end youth homelessness and to ensure that young people are valued for who they are and empowered to achieve their potential. Founded in 1974, YouthCare was one of the first shelters to serve runaway and homeless youth on the West Coast. Since then, we have expanded to 13 sites serving over 1,200 youth every year. Through a range of services including prevention, shelter, housing, education, and employment training, we ensure that young people experiencing homelessness have the hope, skills, and self-confidence needed to thrive.

Make Your Mark

Make Your Mark is geared towards students in Kindergarten through 5^th grade. Our curriculum demonstrates significant improvement in 21^st century social and emotional skills such as collaboration, communication, empathy, and growth mindset.  Make Your Mark provides:

• Weekly artistic investigations promote inquiry and prioritize the art making process rather than final products or projects.
• Small class sizes that allow the students to get to know one another and build confidence.
• Topics and materials that change from week-to-week, keeping students curious and engaged.
• Opportunities for students to take risks and discover; encourages kids to decompress and explore their feelings through the process of art-making and journaling.
• Teaching artists who are professional artists and educators who constantly empower students to embrace mistakes, practice a positive outlook, and try new techniques.