“ArtsPlace” Teen Apprenticeship program to hold final showcases

submitted photos The Journal
With ArtsPlace, high school students can study dance, theater,…..

The Rockford Area Arts Council’s (RAAC’s) teen apprenticeship program, ArtsPlace, will culminate in three final showcases for the public. ArtsPlace, which integrates career-readiness skills into the curriculum, is an immersive arts program for high school students who wish to spend eight weeks in the summer studying visual arts, dance, theater, or creative writing with a professional teaching artist. RAAC offers ArtsPlace at no cost to ensure that it is accessible to every student regardless of ability to pay, and RAAC has offered the program continuously for over twenty years.
This year’s teen apprentices explored the theme of “Found.” All proceeds from ticket- and art-sales go directly to the teen apprentices. The public can support ArtsPlace apprentices by attending the following showcases:
Wednesday, Aug. 7
ArtsPlace Visual Arts and Creative Writing Exhibit and Sale
6 – 9 p.m. at Riverfront Museum Park
Thursday, Aug. 8 at 3 p.m. and Friday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m.
ArtsPlace Theater and Dance Performances
$10 for adults, and $8 for students
The Nordlof Center
ArtsPlace is made possible through grants and support from The Blazer Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency, Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, City of Rockford, Alpine Kiwanis Charities, ComEd, the Kjellstrom Foundation, Rockford Public School District #205, individual donations, and the Art Works grant-making program of the National Endowment for the Arts. “These awards, reaching every corner of the United States, are a testament to the artistic richness and diversity in our country,” said Mary Anne Carter, acting chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Organizations such as the Rockford Area Arts Council are giving people in their community the opportunity to learn, create, and be inspired.”
About the Rockford Area Arts Council:
The Rockford Area Arts Council (RAAC) is a non-profit regional arts agency serving Winnebago, Boone, Ogle and DeKalb Counties. RAAC’s mission is to support, promote, and develop the arts for everyone. RAAC is guided by the vision of a community in which everyone enjoys and participates in the arts and a community in which successful artists and arts organizations contribute to the vitality of the economy and quality of life. www.artsforeveryone.com