Main Gallery Young Artist

Position Purpose:

Main Gallery is a summer program implemented by Racine Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services providing meaningful employment in the arts for young people of Racine. Working under the guidance of experienced professional artists, participants are taught valuable job skills, while also learning artistic techniques and creative expression. This is a paid program requiring young artists to work approximately eighteen (18) hours per week. **There will be field trips included in this program**

Essential Duties:

Applicants are expected to work Monday – Thursday, 18-20 hours per week, for six weeks beginning June 23rd, 2025.

Applicants must fully commit to the program: If time conflicts (vacations, camps, summer school, etc.) exist that would cause an absence of more than two work days from June 23rd to August 1st, 2025, acceptance to the program will not be considered.

There are three programs:

• Photography 
   Young Artists employed in the Photography section of Main Gallery learn fundamentals of black and white darkroom photography, including making their own camera and taking pictures with it. They move on to learning to operate manual 35mm film cameras, fully understanding and using manual focus, aperture (depth of focus/field) and shutter-speed. They learn to develop film and print pictures in the darkroom. A good deal of time is spent in the darkroom, where they hone their printing skills. Analysis of photographs is a part of each day and daily journal entries are expected and become works of art in themselves. These fundamentals of photography are universal to digital photography and some use of digital cameras is also explored. Learning to mat and frame their work is also part of the program, turning their photographs into works of art. Working independently is expected, with absolute respect for all, as well as working in a cooperative manner with group projects.
• Creative Writing/Performing Arts
  The creative writing and performance option of Main Gallery serves to teach and encourage future writers and performers about what it takes to become a working artist in these fields. We will delve into songwriting, poetry, and storytelling and explore performance art. We will also visit and learn about Racine's many offerings as inspiration. Each young artist will develop a portfolio of writing by the end of the six weeks. Outside of walking field trips, will operate primarily out of the Dr. John Bryant Community Center and Spectrum School of the Arts and Gallery.
• Furniture painting
  Youth Artists transform plain wooden furniture into works of art. Youth Artists are expected to create unique designs that are not derived from existing characters or content (this includes anime, movies, comics, and copyright or trademarked creations). Each finished piece of furniture (which range in type and size) will be auctioned at the fundraising event that will take place at the end of the six-week program. Youth Artists are responsible for designing, sanding, priming, painting, and sealing their furniture pieces. Additionally, all artists are expected to assist with clean-up and ensure materials are well-maintained, such as keeping brushes clean when not in-use. This is a very hands-on role that includes learning about the different grades of sandpaper, doing a lot of hand-sanding with some use of the electric palm-sander, priming, painting (which includes mixing paint to create additional colors), and then finishing with a few layers of sealant. At the end of this six-week program, the tireless efforts of each Youth Artist can be clearly seen as distinctive and desirable pieces of art.

Minimum Qualifications:

In order to be considered for employment in the Main Gallery Program, the following is required:

Applicant must be a student and at least 14 years of age.

Applicants must be a resident of Racine County. (Preference will be given to City of Racine Residents).

The application must be accompanied by:

Typed Letter of Recommendation from a teacher, employer, minister, etc.

Typed Essay (Handwritten will not be accepted): 175 word essay explaining why you want to be involved in Main Gallery. Include why you feel you should be hired and what positive attributes you will bring to the program.

Income Verification Form: Parent or guardian must complete the attached Income Verification Form. This information is required by the City of Racine for statistical purposes. All information will be kept confidential. Acceptance to the program is not based on income level.