Fuel: Successful Arts Education Model

Giving youth the power to succeed

fuelGiving youth the power to succeed

MARWEN

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Founded in 1987 as a model for arts education and youth development

MAKING THE JOURNEY TO MARWEN

A typical day for Mayra, a Chicago high school student who comes toMarwen after school and on weekends to explore her passion for art

FOREWORD

by Antonia Contro, Marwen

Marwen’s mission, what this book is about, and the people who made it possible

ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF YOUTH

by Philip Yenawine, VUE (Visual Understanding in Education)

An essay on Marwen’s philosophy and practice, including the organization’sfocus, student body, artist-teachers, and pedagogy, and an assessment ofthe organization’s success

EXPERIENCING THE DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS OF MARWEN

by Andrea Kayne Kaufman, DePaul University

How Marwen fuels adolescent development — emotionally, socially, andacademically — by building self-esteem, fostering relationships, andencouraging both creative and cognitive learning

ANSWERING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT MARWEN

by Cyd Engel, Marwen

Answers to frequently asked questions about Marwen and its practices,policies, and structure

IN THE MARWEN STUDIOS

Including courses, artist-teachers, staff, and board of directors

LOOKING FORWARD

CONTENTS > > > iv

viii

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At last! School’s out. When that bell rings, though, it feels like a new day is just starting for me. In 40 minutes I catch my train downtown to Marwen. It’s a long ride, 90 minutes roundtrip, but it’s worth it.

Since I was really little I’ve always wanted to be an artist — art is my passion.And at Marwen, I feel like I’m surrounded by kids and adults who are just as passionate about art as I am. That alone motivates me to go there twice,sometimes even three times, every week for classes.

2:50 PM, CURIE METROPOLITAN HIGH SCHOOL 2:55 PM, ARCHER AVENUE AND PULASKI ROAD

Curie is located in Archer Heights, a neighborhood on Chicago’s far Southwest Side. My school’s not that bad. There are a lot of kids — more than3,000 actually — and a lot of different kinds of students. It’s pretty diverse.

I hang out with my friends after school, usually across the street in front of thetrain station. My friends are great — a few of them go to Marwen, too. Like me, they’re creative and want to go to art school after Curie. It’s inspiringto share your dreams with your friends.

We are always hungry after school. Today, we’re going for pizza a few blocksfrom school. I won’t get home until eight o’clock, so I need some food to keep me going. I’m finishing a figure painting in my Marwen class tonight, and I want to put maximum energy into my final touches — I want it to be perfect.

This is the last time I’ll see my friends today, so we catch up on everything and try to make each other laugh. They really help me relax after a day of justsitting in classrooms.

3:15 PM, RICOBENE’S 3:50 PM, THE ORANGE LINE

As my train heads to the Loop — I transfer to another train downtown — I put my headphones on and stare out the windows. The train passes through some really interesting neighborhoods, like Bridgeport and Chinatown, and the skyline keeps growing larger and larger in front of me the whole time.

My train ride to Marwen never gets old. There’s too much going on, alwayssomething to look at. A lot of what’s in my art comes from my life. Not just what’s happening to me, but also what’s around me. I think every artist does that, because if you’re not feeling or seeing anything, then how are you going to create something?

4:00 PM, ADAMS STREET EL PLATFORM 4:15 PM, CHICAGO AVENUE EL STOP

All the students know this is the Marwen stop. The moment I step off the train I see these big, colorful self-portrait murals that Marwen kids have painted. It’sinspiring to see this artwork every time I come here and to realize that thousands of people look at them every week.

This neighborhood — Marwen’s just north of the Loop in River North — is totallydifferent from my school’s. Instead of car lots or shopping centers, there are art stores and galleries. It seems like there’s artwork in every window front. I could spend hours in these places, but not today. I’ve got to get to class.

4:16 PM, HEADING DOWN TO STREET LEVEL 4:20 PM, MARWEN

At last — I’m here. Every time I walk into Marwen, something clicks inside of me. I feel energized here. I think it’s because the teachers really care. Theywant to know what you’re thinking — not just how you’re creating something,but why you’re creating it. I think it’s because I have a lot more freedom to do what I want here, too.

Yesterday I worked on a digital photo project. Today I’m studying the human figure, and tomorrow I’ll finish a landscape design. And all in this one building. It’s like I tell everyone: Marwen is amazing.

What fuels young people? What are the conditions under

which kids grow and prosper? How do we build institutions

that inspire youth to learn, encourage creativity, and nurture

ambition and potential?

Through 17 years of working with adolescents and art,

we at Marwen have discovered some answers to these

questions. In this book, we intend to share our insights with

colleagues, policy makers, and advocates. Our goal is

to enlarge the pool of knowledge about education, the arts,

and youth development. In the process, perhaps we can

also articulate a vision of what it takes to teach young

people effectively and what an ideal teaching environment

looks like.

Marwen’s fundamental mission is to provide the highest-

quality visual arts and career and college planning

programs to under-served youth in Chicago after school

and on weekends. Watching young people thrive as

a result of their involvement at Marwen, we have come

to realize that there is important information in our

educational paradigm. Most important, our arts-based

model harnesses the natural inclination of adolescents to

focus and learn, act with creativity and conviction, and

relate in socially productive ways.

For this publication, we invited art educator Philip Yenawine

to analyze Marwen’s method and to describe the charac-

teristics that make our program successful. Over the past

year and a half, Yenawine visited Marwen and talked

with students, staff, alumni, artist-teachers, and trustees to

glean perceptive ideas about how and why Marwen works.

DePaul University professor and Marwen board member

Andrea Kayne Kaufman complements Yenawine’s analysis

with an appraisal of how educational research and

theory support his observations. Marwen director of education

Cyd Engel presents responses to often-asked questions

about Marwen’s practices, policies, and structure.

We know through empirical observation, anecdotal

accounts, and quantitative evaluation that the arts fuel

youth not only to make creative products but also to

...our arts-based modelharnesses the naturalinclination of adolescentsto focus and learn, act with creativity andconviction, and relate insocially productive ways.

FOREWORD

ix

x FOREWORD

engage in teamwork. Art bridges cultural, racial, and

ethnic barriers and can help resolve conflict. It enables

youth to think alternatively and critically, develop a

work ethic, improve scholastic performance, and envision

productive futures. Shouldn’t we commit to providing

consequential art experiences as a core part of all young

people’s education?

I invite you to consider these thoughts as you read this

publication and to imagine ways we can work together

to promote arts education. It is my hope that public agencies,

private donors, schools, not-for-profit organizations, and arts

advocates will find fresh ways to collaborate to ensure that

youth experience meaningful exposure to the arts.

Sincere thanks to The Wallace Foundation for underwriting

this study and for its commitment to the arts; to authors

Andrea Kayne Kaufman and Philip Yenawine; and to contribut-

ing writers Jack Cantey and Cyd Engel.

I’d also like to thank Marwen staff members Rhonda Saffold

and Isa Dorros, Kelly Ireton, and Jesse McClelland, who

guided the project with insight and determination, and

artists and designers Natalie Mills Bontumasi, Ryan Flesher,

and Deb Voss, who gave shape to our convictions. Special

acknowledgment also goes to our superlative artist-teachers

and our esteemed board of directors, to our students,

who remind us on a daily basis of the value of this work,

and to the entire Marwen staff — the heart, soul, and

muscle behind this organization.

Finally, I applaud all of you who are dedicated to shaping

the future for our youth.

ANTONIA CONTRO

Executive Director

Chicago, Illinois

Fall 2004

fuelGiving youth the power to succeed

ADDRESSING >>

“The second greatest gift you can provide kids is an

education,” said Steve Berkowitz, the founder of Marwen.

“The first is a healthy self-image.”

It sounds simple, wanting to provide young people with

learning that endures, as well as feelings of confidence and

self-esteem. But, as all who work with adolescents know,

such goals are easier to aspire to than to achieve. As a

society, we offer less than we should to help adolescents

negotiate the tumultuous teen years.

Researchers studying after-school time — also called

out-of-school time — offer some suggestions. For example,

Richard Halpern, of the Erickson Institute for Graduate

Study in Child Development, says the best programs give

kids opportunities to explore and learn, as well as time to

“dawdle and daydream.” Although after-school programs

sponsored by schools and community agencies are well

intentioned, he says, many simply extend the school day with

homework and study sessions. Such programs fail to satisfy

kids, especially those who need time to “just be kids.”

Other researchers agree. A two-year study by the National

Research Council concluded that after-school programs

should support and complement classroom learning by

emphasizing social, emotional, and physical development.

NRC researchers noted that programs should provide

secure places for adolescents to interact with friends,

offer supportive relationships that make them feel accepted

and included, allow them to assume responsibility by

making choices and pursuing challenges, and engage them

in activities that develop their personalities, as well as

their intellect.

Even schools with scores of dedicated, hardworking

teachers too often fail to deal with the issues of youth,

especially students who operate at the margins. Those who

are gifted or talented are frequently under-served in terms

of opportunities and challenge, even as those who are

troubled and ill-prepared are not helped to overcome their

difficulties. The Education Watch 2004 State Summary

reports provide a state-by-state snapshot of the condition of

education throughout the United States. The reports

document how on every measure — teacher quality,

access to high-level curriculum, and state/local education

As a society, we offer lessthan we should to helpadolescents negotiate thetumultuous teen years.

Philip Yenawine is a nationally known art and museum educator. In 2003, he guided a series of strategic planningdiscussions with Marwen staff, artist-teachers, students, alumni, and trustees to explore the Marwen method and future growth. He is co-director of VUE

(Visual Understanding in Education), an organization that studies the effects of art in education.

>The Needs of Youthby PHILIP YENAWINE

3“I love the instruction and support I get from the artist-teachers at Marwen. This is Barlow, who is helping me with a figure drawing.”

4 PHILIP YENAWINE

The problem is not in the nature of youth, of course; it is in theimagination of adults and in our collectiveassignment of priorities.

funding — students of color and low-income students

continue to get less than their fair share of public education’s

most critical resources.

Neither teaching methods nor curricula have been

reformed enough to adjust to changing social conditions

and technologies. Buildings, equipment, and other

resources are often inadequate to the task of seriously

engaging all students, much less challenging all who could

excel. In a 2000 report on school facilities, the U.S.

Department of Education concluded that environmental

conditions in schools, including poor lighting, inadequate

ventilation, and inoperative heating, can affect the learning,

health, and morale of students and staff.

Little is offered to youth outside of school to pick up the

slack, offer expanded opportunities, or provide additional

avenues of learning and expression. According to 2000

U.S. census figures, there are 54.3 million students in the

public K–12 system; a recent study by the After School

Alliance shows that 14.3 million, including one-third of all

middle school students, have no supervision between

3 pm and 6 pm, and therefore nothing to build on or

compensate for what happens at school.

Meanwhile, colleges and employers bemoan the fact

that too few high school graduates operate at a level at

which entry into either the workforce or higher education is

predictably productive. Somehow American society has

failed to consistently create circumstances in which learning

and maturation are supported in ways that are welcoming

and engaging, making young people want to work hard,

commit themselves, sustain healthy communication, and

come back for more.

While school systems face major obstacles — for example,

entrenched bureaucracies and inadequate funding —

after-school programs also encounter difficulties. In fact,

nothing is simple:

> getting the word out to attract students

> sustaining the interest of students

> balancing what youth need with what they want

> addressing practical, social, and logistical issues

> dealing fairly with discipline

> encouraging growth and accommodating change

> providing adequate facilities

> raising funds on a continuous basis

Each of these is a formidable, constant, and ongoing challenge

for those who want to influence the lives of young people.

The problem is not in the nature of youth, of course;

it is in the imagination of adults and in our collective

assignment of priorities. Looking backward to chart courses

for others, we infrequently get it right. The scale of the

problem is enormous, and the resources assigned, even

the small number of those addressing the issues, tiny.

Adolescents are therefore too rarely given the guidance

they deserve to help them navigate these troubling years

with a sense of direction, control, and accomplishment.

What can we do about this? What will, to paraphrase

philosopher Nelson Goodman’s useful admonition, teach

young people how to learn and also show them what there

is to know? What entices adolescents to participate in an

activity, and what motivates them to continue? What, on

one hand, helps them become productive members of

society, cooperating and communicating well with others?

And what, on the other, nurtures their self-esteem and

individuality, helping them to be the best that they can be?

ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF YOUTH 5

...the trip itself comes to symbolize the transformation encouraged by Marwen —from ordinary teens in often-challenging surroundings to youngartists and designers shaping their own futures.

MARWEN’S APPROACH

Marwen seems to have found some answers. Simply stated,

Marwen provides high-quality visual arts instruction,

college planning, and career development to young people

(grades 6–12) free of charge. Programs are offered after

school, on weekends, and during vacations. Recruitment

targets “under-served youth,” students whose interest in art

exceeds the resources of their public schools and that of

their families as well.

Marwen began to take shape in the late 1980s when

Steve Berkowitz started to wonder what he could give back

to Chicago after selling a successful business. Consulting

with various professionals in art and education — his own

primary interests — he discovered school arts programs

were being cut. The more challenged schools in the rougher

neighborhoods were the most limited, and Berkowitz

decided that he would focus on adolescents from such

circumstances. He wanted to ensure that the instruction they

received was professional, effective, and long term.

In 1988, Marwen opened a single studio on the second

floor of a building nestled among galleries, close to

Chicago’s vibrant art scene. Always free, Marwen initially

offered only painting and drawing classes for high school

students. The range of options grew over time, in part to

accommodate students returning year after year. College

and career counseling became a staple early on as students

asked for such direction. Entrepreneurial programs —

such as painting commissioned murals and producing a

line of greeting cards — were established in the 1990s.

And the age range eventually expanded to reach students

beginning with grade six.

In 2000, Antonia Contro, the director since 1993, and

her crew moved Marwen to a larger facility, where it now

has six studio spaces, allowing for more classes and a

wider range of media, from painting, sculpture, and

clay, to photography, design, and animation. There are

beautiful gallery spaces for exhibiting the work of students,

alumni, and artist-teachers, and a library. The increased

capacity has led to program changes as well, such as

creating sequences of courses ranging from introductory

to advanced.

In its move, Marwen chose to remain close to galleries

and museums, consciously intending to acclimatize students

to the community that inspires and contextualizes their

activities. Despite the distance the students often travel

to get from their neighborhoods and schools, the trip itself

comes to symbolize the transformation encouraged by

Marwen — from ordinary teens in often-challenging

surroundings to young artists and designers shaping their

own futures.

What follows is not a description of Marwen’s program —

details are available elsewhere in this document and on

its website. Rather, my intention here is to examine the

premises that Marwen has established as it has learned

how to work with young people over the years. In my view,

Marwen has discovered rationales and methods that

others need to know. Some will be familiar to all who target

adolescents. But other aspects of Marwen might be revelatory.

I hope that an examination of its focus, philosophy, attitudes,

offerings, and staffing decisions — what might be termed

the “Marwen method” — will present a model of what

works to attract and empower adolescents. When asked what

about Marwen was most important to him, Orlando C.,

a Marwen student, said, “A lot of freedom. It’s not school.

6 PHILIP YENAWINE

I want instead to stressthat there are two key elements particularly germane to serving the needs and desires of adolescents: the inherent value of theactivity to teens and its authenticity as a window into adult work.

I come here because I want to. No one is making me. I don’t

get a grade. No one is telling you to be any way. You do

what you need to do.”

Implicit in this essay is my belief that all of us in education

must continuously question what we do in order to end up

with more students who think as Orlando does. Activities

and lessons that worked yesterday may be worth repeating,

but we cannot rely on that. A certain healthy skepticism

is in order: Do students recognize a subject or activity as

useful? Is its value self-evident to them? Given a specific

assignment, is everyone able to start working quickly? Do

students get the help they need, when they need it? Are they

asked to reflect on what they do? When finished, do they

feel it was worth doing? Are they ready to move on from

there, building on experience?

For education to work — for kids to grow and to know it

and want it — systems and structures need to be nimble.

Social changes and new technologies are but two frequently

shifting factors that require flexibility. As educators we

need to be responsive to situational changes as well. When

a disaster occurs, for example, how do we shift our plans to

address the concerns of students in a constructive, sensitive

manner? When we see that teens are consumed by a movie

or computer game, how can we make use of that? How

do we adjust to economic changes that directly affect kids’

lives? Tweaking what we do is almost always necessary,

and wholesale renovations are occasionally required to pro-

vide adolescents the combination of nurture and challenge

they deserve. Being a parent may be the only analogous

circumstance; educators operating by assumption or habit

can fail to accommodate the day-after-day changes that

are the inevitability of adolescence.

To maintain our edge as educators, it is useful to look at

examples set by others, whether to confirm what we do

or to challenge ourselves. Marwen is an example of an

organization that has a building, trustees, budgets, funders,

staff, structures, and traditions, and therefore sets of

expectations and reasons to enshrine the status quo. Still,

it has chosen to redefine itself in an ongoing way so that it

remains responsive to what young people want and need.

Attendance is thus assured, staff morale is high, and

funding follows.

This essay is written for both those within Marwen and

without to think carefully about reaching young people and

helping them grow. In my opinion, just because Marwen

has it right at present does not mean that it will sustain it.

It will take conscientious effort, no resting on laurels. What

I offer here is an examination of the hallmarks of Marwen’s

method that I see as useful for anyone wanting to design

successful programs for adolescents.

EMPHASIZING RELEVANCE AND AUTHENTICITY

Those who set up programs for young people outside

of school have a range of options open to them. Many

are potentially successful at engaging young people and

helping them grow into adulthood with a sense of how

the world functions, what work in general is like, what

specific jobs entail, what interests them, and what they are

capable of.

But, most opportunities open to young people deal with

subjects, motives, and methods established by adults

and do not necessarily reflect things that kids intrinsically

care about or can do. It is, in fact, a long time before


young people are allowed to move from elementary activity

into the authentic work of the field. Really satisfying work

is seldom possible without formal education or training.

For example, office internships rarely amount to more than

directing calls, making copies, running errands, and, at

best, attending meetings; research assignments are often

elementary, repetitive, and directed toward ends defined

by someone other than the student. In my opinion, few

opportunities actually allow students more than a glimpse

of what work in the field can become, and it’s difficult

in most instances to give kids tasks as interesting as what

professionals do.

Despite this, students may stay involved because of a

charismatic leader, because of positive interactions

both with other young people and with adults, or simply

because they appreciate the attention and reinforcement

they get for contributing — good things, to be sure.

I do not mean to question the value of many sorts

of programs. I want instead to stress that there are two

key elements particularly germane to serving the needs

and desires of adolescents: the inherent value of the

activity to teens and its authenticity as a window into adult

work. Is the activity something that young people want

to do naturally, might do on their own? Something they care

about personally? And, furthermore, does the activity

truly reveal something solid and true about the field of focus?

Marwen’s choice of program focus is visual art —

making it, learning about and from it, being around it —

and I think it is a prime reason for Marwen’s success.

The notion of art as an enriching activity for adolescents is

so important, and so little understood in the pragmatic,

utilitarian culture of the United States, that I want to be very

specific about the attributes of visual art that make it an

ideal activity for young people.

THE ARGUMENT FOR ART AND ADOLESCENTS

In terms of offering an authentic experience, even begin-

ning studio activity can be constructed so that the young

people do exactly the things practicing artists do: select

materials and manipulate them, make choices, look,

feel, and think in ways that are genuinely parallel to what

trained, mature artists do. Young people’s production

might be less accomplished, but their process is identical.

Similarly, if asked to look at and to think about works

of art — their own and those of others — they can construct

meanings in ways that mirror precisely what expert viewers

do: They gather observations and come to conclusions.

The meanings they construct may be little informed by

historical and technical knowledge, but the process of gain-

ing insight is an authentic and important part of the viewing

experience. A visit to galleries, museums, and studios is

often undertaken by young people with less inhibition

and more curiosity than adults, especially if conjoined with

studio experience.

When making art, traditions, standards, and procedures

exist, but individual creativity, experimentation, and rule

breaking are also necessary. Craft is important and so

is self-expression. Discipline is essential, but chance and

surprise are desirable. Logic and syntax contribute to

successful communication, as does personal vision and rule

breaking. Even as beginners, artists create from within,

with self-defined objectives being as important to what they

produce as conventions. Each of these attributes addresses

adolescents’ developmental stages.

When making art, traditions, standards, and procedures exist, but individual creativity,experimentation, and rule breaking arealso necessary.

8 PHILIP YENAWINE

In addition, within art, there is ample opportunity to follow

one’s own instinct and interests. There are many media to

choose among. Different options involve varied skill levels

and engage a range of interests, temperaments, degrees

of patience, attention spans, and intentions. Those whose

drawing skills are minimal, for example, may competently

use a camera. Those who want to work alone can paint;

those who want to be part of a team can become involved

in video or film production.

With art, any specific activity has important open-ended

possibilities. A teacher may assign a specific task or

process, but, as often, students can decide on a project

based on past work — what was the last problem solved?

Or a new ambition? What have I seen that I want to know

more about? The actual work, therefore, can be guided

solely by the teacher (which some prefer), solely by the

student (better for others), or by a mix of students, teachers,

and even input or example from peers.

Moreover, art can be taught so that process is more

important than outcome: The activity is rewarding and self-

justifying, even if the end product is less than one had

hoped. Solving the problem is often a matter of incremental

growth in skills and equally often a matter of personal

definition: Is this what I wanted my work to be, to look like?

External comparisons are acceptable so that one can see

where one stands, but a good teacher can find examples

of existing work by professional artists to buttress many

types and levels of accomplishment. “Mistakes” in art

have no negative consequences and may in fact represent

breakthroughs. All of these factors help young people cope

with expectations — those of others but, more importantly,

with their own.

Criticism of performance is an essential aspect of the

discipline for both beginners and professionals. In offering

criticism, teachers can comment on effort and risk taking

as well as achievement. They can easily ask students to

participate in their own critique. The process can be entirely

subjective: Did I use my time well? Did I try as hard as

I could? Did I accomplish my objectives as well as I should

expect? Or critique can be a relative matter: Was I better

able to do what I wanted than last time? Did I come

closer to what is possible than I have before? Or it can be

objective: How does my work compare to standards, or

with that of others?

Student work, again like that of professionals, can be

periodically exhibited, permitting concrete measures

of accomplishment as well as a chance to see the impact

of work on a variety of observers. Seeing work hung is

to see it afresh, at a distance, and aided by the perspectives

of others. What teen does not want such attention, particularly

when the point is useful perspective on himself or herself

and others?

Looking at art by others is an entirely different aspect

of what makes art a productive focus for teen programming.

Examples of work by a variety of artists can show myriad

ways of solving problems, making it clear that success

does not mean coming up with a single right approach.

The work of artists from many times and situations opens

windows into possibilities, ideas, and feelings that allow

for constructive expression of young people’s own concerns.

Looking at and discussing art with peers, particularly if

facilitated by a neutral party, is a very sure way to build

respectful, thoughtful dialogue. Each voice can be heard,

acknowledged, and validated, allowing kids to understand

themselves and their uniqueness; at the same time,

The work of artists from many times and situations opens windowsinto possibilities, ideas, and feelings thatallow for constructiveexpression of young people’s own concerns.


differing points of view can be aired, revealing how each

individual connects to others. As young people put their

minds together to probe meanings inherent in art, they

expose themselves to a range of human expression, discuss

complex issues, and learn the benefit of extended observation

and collaborative thinking. The language for discussing

complexity is exercised. This kind of making sense of things

lies at the core of what motivates adolescents.

By giving you this lengthy analysis of art’s attributes, I hope

I have made it clear that art addresses what matters to

teens. It offers a perfect amalgam of rigor and freedom

during years when conflicting impulses often result in a mix

of behaviors. Engagement with art making:

> offers authentic experience

> easily addresses developmental stages

> involves both self-expression and discipline

> permits process to outweigh product

> encourages both individual and group activity

> teaches accurate self-assessment

> celebrates a variety of voices

HALLMARKS OF SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS

Art is not the only reason that Marwen succeeds with young

people. The next 12 points are culled from my examination

of Marwen’s method. These points should be hallmarks

of any program that aspires to help adolescents mature into

productive, self-motivated adults.

A welcoming community

In the words of Melissa W., who has attended Marwen

courses for three years, “I kept coming and I wanted to stick

around because the people who work here are the nicest

people that I’ve ever met.”

Warm human interactions are an essential part of any

successful program for adolescents. We who work with

them must continually demonstrate that we care for each

individual. Beginning to separate from their families,

teenagers still need to feel an integral part of a community —

once of family, now of peers and other adults. A measure

of the importance of this is that during my first hours of

discussing Marwen with current students and alumni, they

talked more about the friendships and the sense of family

they treasured (their frequently used word) than about

anything they had learned about art.

Creating this feeling comes from effort and intention on

the part of Marwen. Especially when young people come

from challenging home circumstances, a warm, consistent,

supportive environment reinforces a sense of positive

identity. To the extent that students come from schools with

paltry resources, distressed facilities, rigid rules, policed

security, uninteresting curricula, and/or uninspired instruction,

a wholly different feeling is required to remediate, nurture,

and instill trust.

Community begins with the warmth of welcomes, simple

friendliness, and offers of assistance, and it builds by way

of introductions within classes and other contexts; in some

Marwen courses, students interview and introduce each

other. As students work, they are given chances to interact.

Discussions build channels of communication, a central

element in community. Student advisory boards — and this

organization’s is very active — are powerful motivators of

participation, enfranchisement, and, of course, relationships.

Especially when young people come from challenging home circumstances, a warm, consistent, supportiveenvironment reinforces asense of positive identity.

10 PHILIP YENAWINE

Students also need time with one another in situations that

allow for informal exchange. Marwen has social occasions:

opening and closing celebrations or events, performances,

discussions, some with families invited. But students also

like lounges and eating areas, if space permits, though

their use must be governed by rules upholding respect for

property as well as the need for behavior suitable to the

facility and program.

Small-scale programs find it easier to manage these

things, though large ones can do so by carefully calibrating

the ratio of young people to teachers and staff. But no

matter how big, a central tenet of any successful program

for adolescents is individualized, reinforcing attention.

Interactions with adults must be perceived as warmly

supportive, whether we as educators are greeting them

at the start, introducing them to options, encouraging their

ongoing participation, disciplining them, guiding them

along the way, or sending them off when it is time.

Such concern and attention may be rare in kids’ lives,

however, and balance must be sought. Teenagers need to

see that people can care about each other, even deeply,

and still maintain the distance that reflects interactions

in the “real” world. We must communicate positive feelings

without crossing boundaries easy for kids to ignore.

Marwen’s artist-teachers ascribe more to the image of mentor

than of friend to describe the relationship they strive for.

Marwen has grown in terms of space recently, and

it is now perceived as somewhat less personal. When

asked what he might change about the experience,

Orlando C. said, “...Marwen needs more room to grow,

more classrooms. But as it grows, it loses its family

togetherness that we had when we started in the other

building and everyone knew each other.” In order to

maintain a sense of community, Marwen is addressing the

challenge by instituting more events that have a social

component, wanting interactions among students to be

continual and both structured and informal.

Friendships among students endure, and peer exchanges

serve as an ongoing support system. Relationships formed

here also have the potential for later resonance as artist-

teachers and alumni assist students who go on to college and

later to work, supplying references, contacts, and counsel.

An environment built on respect

In all aspects of operations, students must come first and

be treated with respect and dignity. Raising money, keeping

buildings clean, creating course listings, involving trustees:

We as educators do all of these so that we can keep our

focus on kids — the realities of their needs, interests, and

strengths. We must in all matters be student centered.

Respect must pervade the organization. Intrusive hierarchy

is counterproductive; despite roles, knowledge, or experi-

ence, all staff members must be treated equally to ensure

that students will be. Students quickly pick up on the ethos

of a place, and what we project will predicate what we get

back. If each negotiation is respectful, the practice of

respect defines all relationships. Disciplinary action need

rarely be invoked; people who are respected see little bene-

fit in acting out.

A corollary to this is the need for evenhandedness, all students

subject to the same rules and treatment. All decisions and

disciplinary actions must be understood and seen as fair. At

...a central tenet of any successful program for adolescents is individualized, reinforcing attention.


Marwen, even programs that involve competition for entry,

honors, or opportunities are handled with such fairness that

no rancor results.

It should not need saying, but evoking the authority of

title or age is useless. Respect from adolescents is won

through concern as much as because of what we know

and can do. While maintaining professional distance,

teachers and other staff must nurture each student, essential

if we want youth to take chances and to give their best.

An open and fair structure

Like most adults, adolescents are more comfortable in

situations with boundaries and parameters than in those

without. Thus, educators should establish and make

clear a set of sensible rules and policies — ones that are

logical in the kids’ eyes — and only as many as needed.

We should make rationales for decisions and actions

transparent and include matters such as attendance, focus,

effort, output, manners, even dress if clothing affects

one’s ability to participate fully.

It is useful to step back when conflict occurs to ascertain

whom a policy serves — the youth or the program —

and to change unhelpful policies. Staff and students

both have a stake in maintaining a system that works for

all, and the point is to prove this by being responsive

to feedback.

Expectations can be exacting if developmentally appropriate.

In other words, goals and objectives for behavior cannot

seem either childish or, conversely, beyond reach, “too

adult.” They must reflect the present capabilities as well

as the potential of adolescents, neither condescending

nor expecting too much. Establishing structure is therefore

a matter of negotiation and delicate balance, particularly

in programs in which students range in age, come

from differing backgrounds, or may at any point be new

and unaccustomed to the program’s environment.

Yet, structure must be sensitive to individuals (not just groups),

respond to changes and events in society, and never

be seen as permanent, even though certain aspects remain

constant. We should premeditate if, or when and how

exceptions might be made — again, making sure that

kids know the possibilities and limits of special consideration.

It is important to make clear what disciplinary actions will

be taken for behavioral infractions, to let nothing be

arbitrary or whimsical. Although it is smart to be flexible,

we do not want to be entirely situational: “Well, okay

this time,” or “Because it is you, I’ll look the other way.”

Again, fairness and equal treatment are essential if we want

adolescents to conform willingly to a system and to

expectations. Marwen meets this criterion. And the result?

As Eddie M., a Marwen student, commented: “Students

here know how to carry themselves, how to act. Rules are

minimal, and I’ve never experienced any inappropriate

behavior from Marwen students.”

Clear criteria for teachers and teaching

Hiring people to work directly with adolescents must be

done with great care. Obvious as it sounds, the most critical

criterion is to like youth; I will go so far as to say staff

members must love working with teenagers. Candidates

will prove this by a record of involvement that allows us to

see the nature of their interactions with kids and provide

evidence of kids’ respect, interest, and warmth for them.

Establishing structure is therefore a matter ofnegotiation and delicatebalance, particularly in programs in which students range in age,come from differing backgrounds, or may atany point be new andunaccustomed to the program’s environment.

12 PHILIP YENAWINE

Marwen artist-teachersthink of themselves as mentors who guide students as students teach themselves; artist-teachers shareknowledge and insights when they mean something...

Marwen is an art school, of course, but any of us who

want to influence students’ lives should think of ourselves

as teachers, committed to helping our charges grow.

Therefore, I would state a second criterion — “teaching

ability” — even if a program does not call for outright

instruction. As teachers, we create an appropriate working

environment, ensuring that facilities, equipment, supplies,

and other resources are ready when students arrive. We set

a tone of appropriate seriousness and commitment. We

get them to work in the event that they do not already know

what to do (and, preferably, want to do), making sure that

all assignments represent authentic practices — nothing too

challenging or dumbed down or apparently irrelevant, no

exercise for what appears to be its own sake. A good sign

that a task is appropriate is that all get to work immediately

and enthusiastically with few questions, and no comments

such as “I can’t” or “I don’t know what to do.”

If a demonstration is required, we want to show only

as much as needed to get students started; seldom is a

beginning-to-end process memorable. And too much

teacher- or technique-focused time can be boring. Instead,

we want to be continuously available as students work,

acting as facilitator, coach, or source of help/information

when needed. As I said earlier, Marwen artist-teachers think

of themselves as mentors who guide students as students

teach themselves; artist-teachers share knowledge and

insights when they mean something — in other words,

when they answer the questions formed by kids as they

work. According to Melissa W., Marwen teachers “are not

trying to get you to do things their way; they’re trying to

help you do it your own way....If you have a question about

how to draw a certain part, they’ll show you the best way

to do it, but they’re not going to say, ‘do it like this’ and take

your hand and do it. They kind of explain it and let you

figure it out on your own.”

Another criterion is competence within a subject area.

As Marwen student Camille S. put it, “I think the fact that

the people teaching oil painting have spent years and years

studying it, the people teaching photography work as

photographers — that’s really important. They know what

they’re doing.” Ideally, we want for those who lead to

model well what a kid might aspire to become — teachers

should be effective role models.

Marwen artist-teachers practice what they teach. Their

work is exhibited regularly, including at Marwen, and

students thus glimpse the professional world beyond.

Such exhibitions also help with credibility issues (big with

adolescents), and they allow students to see their teachers

holistically, as people who have lives outside a studio or

classroom and who also struggle to create.

Usefully, Marwen alumni — some still in college, some

in the early stages of careers — also show work, giving

students insights into a midpoint in the process of becoming

a professional artist or designer. Some alumni come

back to work at Marwen, too, adding perspective to future

possibilities.

A combination of guidance and independence

A very real degree of independence is not just highly prized

by adolescents but is necessary as they grow in ability to

take control of their lives. If we seek to develop individuals

who operate independently, adolescents should rarely

be told what to do and never forced. In choosing, students

exercise what it means to be an individual, positively

differentiating himself or herself from family and group.

They find what they are good at and what it means

to be responsible to one’s self and to rise to challenges

because of their own effort.


Creativity is dependent in part on discipline butequally on risk taking; no one learns the latter if he or she is constantly bound by achievement standards.

Out-of-school programs are usually voluntary and can

involve students leaving their neighborhoods, both of which

are helpful as kids decide what they want to do and be,

move beyond the known, and maneuver larger terrain.

Programs can assist the growth of decision-making skills

by offering options that allow individuals to delve into

existing interests, explore new areas, and be responsible

for how time is spent.

For these students, the rest of their lives may contain

too few choices. As Camille S. said, if she wants more

art, “The fact is that there isn’t an alternative within

my school. If we want some sort of extra art study, we

have to either teach ourselves, which most kids don’t

have time for or aren’t motivated for, or we have to go

elsewhere.” And, she added, “Marwen seems to be the

best ‘elsewhere’ alternative.”

If, however, students are unused to making choices or

simply want the advice of someone knowledgeable,

guidance should be easily available. When communication

channels are working as they do at Marwen, fellow students

are a trusted source of information. Teachers and staff

should see themselves not as managers who assign,

supervise, and control, but as consultants who help young

people learn how to do what they want to do. Marwen

artist-teachers assist students as they consider next options,

as does the staff that coordinates the roster of courses;

a well-liked and respected college and career counselor

is available, as well as courses that assist in both trajectories.

Assessing the individual

While social interactions are best monitored by rules and

regulations that apply to a group, assessing growth of

knowledge and skill should be individualized. This means

that those responsible for assessment must know the young

people in their charge. They need a solid grounding in the

abilities of each person as he or she starts, and they need

to be careful observers of capabilities as each progresses.

Assessment is, indeed, a process and should be thought of

as ongoing, even if there are milestone projects.

As important as what instructors and supervisors think,

the goal of assessment for teens is accurate self-evaluation,

an essential ingredient in all work and relationships.

It is vital to help young people understand where they

started and how far they can get, assisting them to find

and accept their potential as well as their limits. We

should make them aware that their effort is as important

as their achievement; they are still learning, after all,

and should be given explicit permission to “fail.” Creativity

is dependent in part on discipline but equally on risk

taking; no one learns the latter if he or she is constantly

bound by achievement standards.

Inherent ability — whether “talent” or intelligence of

various sorts — should be identified but not rewarded in

and of itself. Teens deserve to know when they have natural

gifts, and no one in their past may have made

that clear. But even more, they need to know that it is not

what they start with but what they do with it that matters.

This means that programs for youth, including assessment,

must be equal parts nurture — to instill confidence, and

rigor — to ensure best effort. At its best, personalized

assessment is neither permissive nor sloppy. It is, however,

flexible enough to consider each student as a complex

whole, where innate ability is accounted for, along with

attitude, effort, and output.

Given Marwen’s goal that students end up with the capacity

for insightful self-critique, discussion is a principal mode of

assessment. Before artist-teachers comment, students talk

14 PHILIP YENAWINE

about their projects and products, their process of working,

and their intentions and how well they met those intentions.

They are asked to find what they want to improve and how

they might go about it. The principle here is to learn first

what students think before telling them anything. Critique

usually involves advice from the mentor, but it results from

questions and conversation, and it conforms to what a

student is ready for. Language is carefully chosen so that it

can be heard; teens are, in truth, delicate. And kindness

encourages growth, even if it occasionally has to take the

form of tough love.

Critical assistance can come informally, and not always

from teachers. Camille S. said, “It’s most effective if it comes

from other kids....They’ve gone through the same assign-

ment, had the same problems. They know what doesn’t

work, what did work. The teacher might know perfectly well,

but they’re not doing the assignment. Somehow it means

more when it comes from a kid.”

That said, we should always avoid comparing one

adolescent with another. Also, we should always be careful

to avoid judging student work by the standards of experts.

Students should see work that inspires them but should

not be held to unattainable standards. We want to define

growth in terms of personal bests — not someone else’s

accomplishment. Ambitious goals are a good thing as long

as all enjoy the sweetness of success.

A culture of confidence building

Underlying all assessment of adolescents’ accomplishments

must be recognition that they are young, still growing, and

in need of confidence even more than they need a record

of achievement. This is particularly true if students come

from situations in which their gifts have not been recognized.

Making efforts tangible and providing evidence of skill are

important elements to adolescents and to others in their

lives, including those at home who might question participa-

tion in any given out-of-school program, especially one

that doesn’t pay a salary.

But despite either internal or external pressure to achieve,

adolescents need even more to believe in their own

competence; they must believe that with effort — of which

they are capable — they can take in and process new

information, take risks, weather mistakes, measure up,

handle new challenges. The confident sense of being able

to solve diverse problems is more important than a small

set of teen-level accomplishments. Creative problem solving

outweighs arrival at specific “right” answers; process is

more important than product.

During visits to classes at Marwen and while walking

among students as they worked, I observed a concentration

that was palpable. Yet, students were also likely to

interrupt what they were doing to tell me about it. When

they spoke to me, their conversancy with what they

were trying to do and with their levels of success was also

apparent. Even when they pointed out what they didn’t

think was working, there was no hint of self-deprecation.

An inviting building and classrooms

We must always make every effort to maintain the highest-

quality facilities, equipment, supplies, and instruction.

One way we show our respect for students is to house and

equip them as we would professionals.

According to the winter 2004 newsletter from the

Advocacy Center for Children’s Educational Success and

Standards, “A growing body of research...has tested the

widely held belief that there is a relationship between

the conditions of school buildings and student achievement”

We must always makeevery effort to maintainthe highest-quality facilities, equipment, supplies, and instruction.


and that substandard conditions adversely affect learning,

health, and morale of students and staff. The opposite

is very likely true as well. Facilities that are handsome and

adequate for their purposes, and equipment that works and

allows for maximal performance, have beneficial effects on

students’ attitudes and achievement.

Camille S. again: “The teachers at my school are really

good, but they don’t have the resources for something better.

At Marwen the supplies are plentiful, there’s decent paper,

enough charcoal to go around. The studios and equipment

are well maintained, not like the paint-encrusted brushes

that we have at school.” This must to some degree account

for the quality and amount of artistic output anyone can

see on exhibit in the professional-grade gallery at Marwen.

Growth-enhancing instruction

Whether from the range or the sequencing of offerings,

a program for adolescents should allow for growth. There

should be ample opportunity to explore a variety of pursuits

at entry levels, and then means to develop an interest or

advance a set of skills over time.

The program should also prove the truism “the more you

put into something, the more you get out of it.” Youth

need to see where ambition and commitment can lead.

Marwen does this by offering special opportunities, such as

trips, intensive workshops, and representation on decision-

making boards. Selection for participation is competitive;

the process is well publicized, simple, and open to everyone,

and decisions are arrived at fairly.

Following initial impetus from participants in its early days,

Marwen has developed programs in both college and

career counseling. Information about schools, job possibili-

ties, internships, and scholarships is available, along

with actual application assistance and letters of reference.

Computers allow for data gathering and for preparation of

applications. Kids empowered by skills, achievement, and

confidence — fostered by the program itself — are thus

assisted both in seeing the bigger picture of what is possible

and in extending their educations.

The experience of diversity

Left alone, adolescents have a tendency to gravitate

toward others like themselves. Yet, crossing normal bound-

aries of interest, ethnicity, language, race — even style —

makes a richer experience for all. During the teen years,

attitudes coalesce. If young people do not learn what

is gained from interacting with people who have different

understandings and knowledge, it may never happen.

The world’s largest immigrant democracy can work only

if we appreciate people unlike ourselves. Diversity —

of students, staff, faculty — is a huge asset in a program

dedicated to helping adolescents bridge from the normal

limits of family, neighborhood, and school to the wide

world of their potential.

For us to learn to participate in multicultural communities,

we need to be immersed in situations that nurture cross-

cultural communication. Marwen has set a goal of

recruiting under-served young people, those whose families

and schools are ill-equipped at this point to provide a

broad range of opportunities. In contemporary Chicago,

the “under-served” conform to no single ethnic or racial

profile. Having limited financial resources is the most

common denominator. Marwen participants are therefore

diverse in demographics, and for students, this becomes

a draw in itself. Melissa W. put it this way: “My school

is predominantly black and there are a few Hispanics.

So when you come to Marwen, it’s more of a diverse

atmosphere, and that’s something I appreciate. I like being

Marwen participants are...diverse in demographics,and for students, thisbecomes a draw in itself.

16 PHILIP YENAWINE

around a lot of different people. I like to hear opinions,

and I like disagreeing with people. It’s a debate. It adds

to the conversation, and it makes you want to listen when

you have a conversation like that.”

Encouraging teamwork and shared responsibility

The most responsible, sustainable, and appropriate

growth within organizations serving teens evolves from

teamwork among all stakeholders, very much including

the young people. Students should have regular, expected

access to program designers and administrators on an

informal basis to enable unselfconscious, natural feedback

and interaction.

In addition, the structure of adolescent programs should

include representation on the decision-making councils of

the organization, possibly including the board of trustees.

Students know what they like/dislike and what they want

to see happen, even if they do not understand all possible

options. They know what is working and what is not,

and they can often have useful insights into how to fix what

needs repair. They should therefore be consulted continually

on decisions that affect them, and they should know that

what they say matters. Students cannot be invited as a form

of tokenism; they have to be empowered and assured an

influential voice when decisions are made.

Marwen maintains a student advisory board as part of its

formal apparatus for hearing from students. Ensuring that

this works is not an easy matter. Orlando C.’s concerns

about organizational growth show up in this regard as well:

“Right now the Student Advisory Board is having trouble

finding new people because we don’t know the younger

kids like we used to.”

Seeing its commitment to the ongoing support of young

people, Marwen also has an alumni association and

programs. Some alumni have already finished college.

Marwen fills many jobs with former students, who often first

become teaching assistants. Other alumni work recruiting

new students. After all, alumni have firsthand experience

with what Marwen offers and who is going to benefit

most from the courses. As advisors, they bring some distance

from the experience of taking courses, seeing what has

been most helpful to them in the ensuing years.

As young artists setting out in their careers, alumni also

appreciate ongoing contact with people who have known

them and their work over time. But it is very much a

two-way street: Through alumni, Marwen stays in touch

with what current participants will face in the world of

advanced education and work, and, responding to what

it has heard, Marwen has begun teacher preparation,

professional development workshops, and fellowships.

Marwen is considering other options to aid young profes-

sionals whose resources remain limited.

Building youth as future leaders

As the National Education Association reported in 2002,

dropout rates in many urban districts are high —

often above 50 percent. Young people without a high

school diploma are either consigned to marginal jobs in

the service economy or are left foundering. Interesting

and reasonably paid opportunities are in areas that require

more than high school-level competencies. Changing

technologies and the insecurity of jobs require workers

who can readily adapt to new circumstances. With large

numbers not finishing high school, are we creating

the needed dynamic, capable labor force of the future?

As the Educational Testing Service has noted, without efforts

Meanwhile, our communities need people of vision with theability to deal not onlywith complexity but alsowith diverse opinions and capabilities. Are we producing the leaders of tomorrow?


to better prepare today's students for postsecondary

education and increase their access to college, America's

premier economic position and global competitiveness

could be in jeopardy.

Meanwhile, our communities need people of vision with the

ability to deal not only with complexity but also with diverse

opinions and capabilities. Are we producing the leaders

of tomorrow?

Those of us with the commitment and means to make

changes in the way things work need to ask ourselves these

questions. We Americans like to think we prioritize and

attend to our young, but we have ample evidence to

suggest otherwise. At present, it would appear that not only

do we squander a precious resource — tomorrow’s

citizens — but we also create a problem: Those who lack

both confidence and skills can create trouble instead of

being its antidote.

With imagination and lessons learned from programs

like Marwen’s, we can build successful curricula

around anything: art, history, science, or social service.

Our goals should always be to develop young people’s

skills, self-esteem, body of knowledge, capacity for

teamwork, and individual voices. Successful programs offer

three important characteristics: they have inherent value

to kids, they have an authentic connection to the world, and

they reflect the work of adults. Marwen has them all, as

well as a solid infrastructure, which includes a well-defined

and implemented mission, governance, administration,

and program.

The experience for kids who come to Marwen — and to

a serious degree for those who work and teach here —

is transforming. People change because of their involvement.

Marwen’s students love how they are treated, how they are

taught, how much choice they have, and how all this

makes them feel part of a supportive community. Marwen’s

method — built on tenets of personal choice and responsi-

bility; diversity of students, staff, faculty, and media;

and rigorous, high-level instruction that models authentic

practice — helps students to separate respectfully and

lovingly from families. It teaches them how they fit into a

larger, “real-life” context. Students stretch as they learn

how to express and represent themselves as individuals but

also how to participate collaboratively as part of a group.

They learn how to work and how to further their development,

as well as to know the differences between having jobs

and having a career. And they learn how to make art.

Our goals should alwaysbe to develop young people’s skills, self-esteem, body of knowledge, capacity for teamwork,and individual voices.

EXPERIENCING >>

Three preeminent scholars, John Dewey, Erik H. Erikson,

and Howard Gardner, offer foundational theories about

what drives, or “fuels,” optimal adolescent development

and academic success. These theories, well-supported

by current research, explain how Marwen impacts youth

development — emotionally, socially, and academically —

through its art education programs. Offering a safe place

for adolescents to gather and work in an inclusive and

supportive community, Marwen channels adolescents’

natural curiosity and experimental nature into constructive

activities, thus enhancing their desire, and ability, to learn.

BUILDING IDENTITY AND SELF-ESTEEM

According to Erik H. Erikson, the key emotional struggle

for an adolescent is the successful resolution of the

identity crisis that typically accompanies the transition into

adulthood. Art programs can help deter risky activity

brought on by peer pressures and the desire to “fit in”

by providing a safe context in which to play out this

identity conflict. Research shows that art programs like

Marwen’s can significantly decrease delinquent behavior

by providing creative outlets to express internal struggles

constructively. At Marwen, youth are encouraged to discover

positive ways to experience and resolve the tension and

fears associated with their emerging independence,

and are effectively guided through this essential phase of

the maturation process.

At the same time, Marwen fuels identity resolution

by promoting self-esteem. Many adolescents experience

unprecedented achievement at Marwen, which provides

a new sense of possibility and accelerates the identity

process. When adolescents are removed from the

constraints of everyday life and exposed to Marwen’s

programming, they gain a different perspective on what

is possible and what they can become; students are

encouraged to imagine previously unforeseen identities

and life outcomes for themselves, and are concurrently

furnished with the confidence and skills to pursue

these dreams.

Andrea Kayne Kaufman is the assistantprofessor of educational leadership at DePaul University School of Education.Prior to that, she was a school law attorney representing indigent studentsand families in special education and civil rights litigation. Kaufman is currentlyworking on a book about relationsbetween families and schools. She is amember of the Marwen Board of Directors.

> The Developmental Benefits of Marwenby ANDREA KAYNE KAUFMAN

21“At Marwen I have the time to focus on the ideas and details in my work.”

We can study the identitycrisis also in the lives of creative individualswho could resolve it for themselves only by offering to their contemporaries a newmodel of resolution such as that expressed in works of art or in original deeds, and who furthermore are eager to tell us all about it in diaries, letters, andself representations.

Erik H. Erikson, Identity, Youth and

Crisis, 1968

22 ANDREA KAYNE KAUFMAN

FOSTERING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Socially, adolescents are fueled by relationships. Erikson

explains that meaningful relationships with adults help

adolescents navigate the unfamiliar and often difficult

terrain of the identity process. In contrast to the alienating

nature of large, impersonal schools, Marwen provides a

secure place where youth are able to develop relationships

with a diverse group of peers and caring adults. Marwen

offers interactive classes that foster relationships among the

participating students and with supportive artist-teachers

who act as role models, mentors, counselors, and, often,

lifelong cheerleaders. Unlike the overburdened public

school teacher and administrator, the artist-teacher at Marwen

is afforded the time and space to discover the untapped

potential in each student. In Marwen’s supportive environ-

ment, the artist-teacher can expect — and get — a lot from

each student.

Marwen further fuels adolescent development by providing

a powerful sense of community in which adolescents

learn from their mentors and one another the value of

teamwork and conflict resolution. Art instruction at Marwen

encourages youth to look for more than one solution

to a problem, to celebrate multiple perspectives, and to

communicate difficult messages in useful ways. Perhaps

most importantly, Marwen promotes tolerance by building

bridges across cultural, racial, and ethnic barriers and

by promoting productive methods for expressing similarities

and differences among groups and between individuals.

DEVELOPING THE DESIRE TO LEARN

Academically, adolescent development is fueled by learning

experiences. Innovative out-of-school art programs like

Marwen’s have been shown to enhance students’ attitudes

toward school and learning. For example, research

shows that art education inversely correlates with dropout

rates, even when controlled for socioeconomic status.

Moreover, art programs targeted to at-risk youth have

been shown to increase their school attendance and result

in more positive attitudes toward school in general.

Programs that address multiple learning styles ensure that

students with diverse learning capacities will prosper

academically. Marwen’s innovative teaching strategies reach

students who require a broad range of learning approaches;

students with strengths in what Howard Gardner refers

to as “the other intelligences” may be recognized at Marwen

in ways that they are not at the students’ regular schools.

This has become especially critical in light of the No Child

Left Behind Act, with its emphasis on logical-mathematical

intelligence and standardized testing. The methods practiced

at Marwen provide nontraditional learners with more

effective ways to process cognitive information, demonstrate

knowledge, and feel good about their skills, independent

of grade point averages or test scores.

Art education programs are a vital and significant adjunct

to the traditional school curriculum, providing a rich

reservoir of, and access to, information that students can

draw upon in pursuing other subjects or content areas.

Research also demonstrates that art education “levels the

learning field” across socioeconomic boundaries.

A monograph published by Stanford University and

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching,

authored by Shirley Brice Heath, found that students

who participate in the arts are:

> four times more likely to be recognized for

academic achievement

> three times more likely to be elected to class

office within their schools

> four times more likely to participate in a math

and science fair

> three times more likely to win an award for

school attendance

> four times more likely to win an award for writing

an essay or poem

ENHANCING COGNITIVE ABILITY AND DEFINING VALUES

Art education fuels learning by enhancing a student’s

creativity and cognitive thinking skills. Research shows that

immersion in substantive art education programs enhances

creative thinking in areas such as problem solving,

idea generation, originality of thought, mental focus, and

absorption in task. John Dewey valued the importance

of critical-thinking practices in which students developed

“curiosity, suggestion...habits of exploring...love of inquiry.”

Building on Dewey’s observations, Howard Gardner reflects

on the “desirability of [these] higher cognitive functions.”

Gardner further explains that the goal of education is not

EXPERIENCING THE DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS OF MARWEN 23

For to make of paintings an educationalmeans is to assert that the genuineintelligent realization of pictures is not only an integration of the specialized factors found in the paintings as such, but is such a deep and abiding experience of the nature of fully harmonized experienceas sets a standard or forms a habit for all other experiences.

John Dewey, On Education, 1926

24 ANDREA KAYNE KAUFMAN

just to acquire facts, but to “go beyond those elemental

capacities.” For him, art is critical to education because

it results in higher cognitive functions, which include

“problem-solving, problem-finding, planning, reflecting,

creativity, and deeper understanding.”

In related research, the co-founders of VUE (Visual

Understanding in Education), Abigail C. Housen and

Philip Yenawine, offer empirical studies that demonstrate

that time spent looking at, considering, and discussing art

results in the transfer of critical thinking skills across

different disciplines. This means that adolescents then

experience more satisfying interactions in scholastic and

social contexts and become proficient at interpreting

and applying learning to other academic areas, such as

literature and the sciences.

Marwen’s approach to art education enhances learning

by encouraging students to engage deeply and self-critically

with their work and to extend this practice to all facets

of their lives. Marwen teaches youth the value of discipline

and hard work by setting clear expectations and rewarding

progress. Students are encouraged to develop a positive

work ethic and sense of pride in what they accomplish —

important life skills they can, and do, transfer to school,

the community in which they live, and future life endeavors.

NURTURING OUR YOUTH

In today’s political and economic climate, fuel for

adolescents is scarce. Nationally and locally, art education

is an undervalued resource in our current political and

economic environment. Widespread state budget deficits

Whenever possible, artistic learning should be organized around meaningfulprojects, which are carried out over a significant period of time, and allowample opportunity for feedback, discussion, and reflection. Such projects are likely to interest students, motivatethem, and encourage them to developskills; and they may well exert a long-termimpact on the students’ competence and understanding.

Howard Gardner, Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in

Practice, 1993

have resulted in dramatic cuts in arts programming. This

is especially true for under-served minority students who are

more likely to attend struggling and under-resourced

public schools.

School administrators around the country have eliminated

art education to spend more time on reading, mathematics,

and science in order to meet the mandated demands of

state and federal accountability statutes. In a March 2004

report published by the Council for Basic Education,

authors Claus von Zastrow and Helen Jane noted that 25

percent of all principals, and 36 percent of high-minority

school principals, reported decreases in instructional

time for the arts. It is sadly ironic that the very adolescents

who are most in need of the benefits of art education

are the ones least likely to receive it. At the same time,

another study found that adolescents spend 80 percent of

their time out of school. Clearly, adolescents must get

positive learning and life experiences from sources other

than traditional in-school programs.

A quality out-of-school program like Marwen’s can provide

important fuel for the emotional, social, and academic

development of youth. It can help redirect adolescents from

unproductive activities to inspiring ones, offer a welcoming

place, provide a sense of community, and improve

learning abilities and resultant academic performance.

Indeed, substantive art programs fuel adolescent

development in many important and valuable ways and,

like our youth, are precious and scarce resources that

must be established, cultivated, and replenished.

EXPERIENCING THE DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS OF MARWEN 25

It is sadly ironic that the very adolescentswho are most in need of the benefits of art education are the ones least likely toreceive it...Clearly, adolescents must getpositive learning and life experiences fromsources other than traditional in-schoolprograms.

ANSWERING >>

WHAT KIND OF ORGANIZATION IS MARWEN?

Founded in 1987, Marwen is a nonprofit organization

that provides high quality visual arts education,

college planning, and career development programs —

all free of charge — to Chicago’s under-served youth

in grades 6–12. Programs are offered outside of the school

day, after school, and on weekends, as well as during

the summer months.

Q HOW DO STUDENTS HEAR ABOUT MARWEN PROGRAMS?

In several ways:

> Students may hear about us from their teachers or

guidance counselors.

> Our outreach initiative, begun in 1999, in which

classroom visits are made by Marwen staff,

introduces program offerings to students.

> Current students may have siblings or friends

who learn about us by attending student exhibition

openings in our on-site galleries.

> Students who are active in our studio courses tell

their peers about Marwen.

> An extensive mailing program to principals and

teachers prior to every term promotes referrals of

new students.

> Innovative professional development programs

introduce Chicago Public School teachers to Marwen,

who then recommend Marwen to their students.

> Important Questions About Marwenby CYD ENGEL

29

Q

Marwen provides...high quality visual artseducation...to Chicago’sunder-served youth in grades 6 –12.

“One of the great things about Marwen is the diversity — I meet and work with kids from all over the city and from different cultures and races.”

30 CYD ENGEL

Q WHO COMES TO MARWEN?

Marwen students are youth who are motivated,

success-oriented, and interested in visual arts. Our

demographics are broad and diverse: More than 170

schools are represented in our student body, and students

come to us from 48 Chicago ZIP codes. A survey of

our diverse student population reveals that 24 languages

are spoken by Marwen students and families, including

Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu, Farsi, and Chinese. Students

typically have very little, if any, access to other out-of-school

or after-school programs and/or art instruction. Many

students have never had the kind of one-on-one attention

our artist-teachers and staff offer.

Students are drawn to us for access to free art instruction,

but they also benefit from the comprehensive and

personalized college and career counseling programs.

Students are drawn to us for access to free artinstruction, but they also benefit from the comprehensive and personalized college and career counseling programs.

MARWEN 2003 STUDENT BODY DEMOGRAPHICS

42%

23%

16%

10%9%

60631 60646

60630

60634 60641

60645 60626

60659 60660

6064060625

6061860613

60657

60639 60647 60614

60651 60622 60610

60644

60624

60612

60611

6060860623 60616

60632 60609

60653

60615

60656

6063860629

60636

60621 60637

60649

60652 60620 60619

60655

60643

60628

60617

60633

6060560607

IN 2003, MARWEN STUDENTS REPRESENTED 48 OF CHICAGO’S

57 ZIP CODES

Chicago ZIP code in

which one or more

Marwen students reside

Chicago ZIP code in

which no Marwen

student resides

Latino/a

African American

Caucasian

Multiethnic/Other

Asian

ANSWERING IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT MARWEN 31

Q DO STUDENTS NEED A PORTFOLIO OR SPECIAL

CREDENTIALS FOR ADMISSION TO MARWEN?

No, but about half of our students have had some art

instruction in school or elsewhere. Only a small percentage

are already considered to be exceptionally talented in art-

making, while the remaining students may be interested in

art but are relatively inexperienced and underexposed to it.

Q ARE STUDENTS CHARGED ANY FEES TO ATTEND COURSES?

Courses and workshops, which range in length from 6

to 10 weeks, are free. In return for instruction and materials

and supplies, students are asked to make a commitment

to the course and adhere to a strict attendance policy.

If a student exceeds the number of allowable absences, he

or she is dropped from that class but is invited to return

the following term. In this way, students learn for themselves

the value of consistent attendance, and they experience

the tangible benefits of their hard work over time. This policy

also ensures that students have adequate time to develop

their work in substantive ways.

Q ARE CLASSES DEVELOPED BASED ON AGE OR

EXPERIENCE LEVEL?

Not necessarily. It is not unusual for students of different

ages and experience levels to be together in classes.

Artist-teachers and teaching assistants work as a team to

create a supportive and student-centered environment

and to promote creative and technical skill building.

Q HOW IS STUDENT WORK RECOGNIZED?

At the conclusion of each term, student art is exhibited

in Marwen’s public gallery — one of the finest in the city of

Chicago. This enables students to celebrate their achieve-

ments with families, peers, and teachers. Exhibitions,

which are professionally installed, demonstrate the variety

of media and techniques taught at Marwen and pique

student interest for future course selection. Exhibitions also

serve as community-building events, enable students to

introduce their parents to artist-teachers, and expand

parents’ understanding of the scope of Marwen programs.

Artist-teachers and teaching assistants workas a team to create a supportive and student-centered environmentand to promote creative and technicalskill building.

32 CYD ENGEL

Q HOW MANY STUDENTS DOES MARWEN SERVE EACH YEAR?

In 2003, nearly 1,300 students came to Marwen. This

figure includes students in our studio, college planning, and

career development divisions. The average number of

students in a course is 18, with some advanced courses or

special-topic courses having fewer students. Each course is

instructed by an artist-teacher and a teaching assistant.

Q WHO TEACHES, AND ARE THEY COMPENSATED?

Professional artists, architects, designers, and other art

professionals teach on an independent-contractor basis.

Many instructors have a terminal degree and several

years of teaching experience.

Artist-teachers are paid a competitive honorarium

for teaching time, curriculum development, and planning

meetings. Compensation is based on a three-tier pay

schedule. As artist-teachers successfully complete terms,

their pay level advances. Artist-teachers are hired for

an individual term or special project, based on course

proposals they submit in advance of each term. No

permanent salaried artist-teachers are on staff. This allows

us flexibility in programming and offers our artist-teachers

the freedom to teach as a complement to their studio practice.

Marwen also hires teaching assistants, many of whom

are alumni, so that there are two adults working with

students at all times. Teaching assistants and alumni also

serve as mentors and role models, developing relationships

with students over time and encouraging them to consider

and plan for their futures.

Q HOW DO STAFF MEMBERS SUPPORT ARTIST-TEACHERS?

Our staff members handle all administrative aspects of the

programs, thus allowing artist-teachers the time to concen-

trate on studio teaching. Marwen staff orders and stores

all materials and supplies, arranges for field trips, evaluates

courses, and contacts parents, students, and teachers

whenever necessary. During the curriculum development

process, staff provides consultation on issues related to

age-appropriate content, resources, and technical issues.

The average number ofstudents in a course is 18, with some advancedcourses or special-topiccourses having fewer students.

896 in Studio Program

234 in College Planning Program

+ 143 in Career Development Program

1,273

72 in School Partnerships Program

66 in Special Programs

677 in Alumni Program

+ 115 CPS teachers in Teacher Program

2,203 total served


Q HOW IS MARWEN DIFFERENT FROM OTHER LOCAL

VISUAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS?

Marwen is about access and opportunity, development of

confidence and creativity, and the benefits that can emerge

with perseverance and self-realization.

Marwen complements the school arts curriculum with

its out-of-school offerings. Students are not removed from

the school day to participate in Marwen programs.

While other visual arts organizations may focus on arts

employment programs and “purchase” student work,

at Marwen, all work belongs to the individual student —

the concentration is on art education and development

of technical and conceptual skills.

At Marwen, students work in a state-of-the-art facility.

Courses take place in six specialized studios, allowing

students to experience a professional studio environment

distinctly different from the typical classroom setting.

Unlike other programs, Marwen works only with students

in grades 6–12, the age group with the fewest opportunities

in the arts. After grade 12, students are invited to segue

into the alumni division. This commitment to long-term

relationships is central to our mission and is key to the personal

development of adolescents.

Finally, Marwen is a program offered free of charge.

It is designed to support under-served youth and provide

them an opportunity to envision possibilities of growth

over time, to master technical skills, and to learn about

college and career resources.

Q HOW ARE COURSE OFFERINGS DEVELOPED?

Marwen course content is developed in three ways:

1. Approximately four months prior to the start of each

term, education staff solicits course proposals from

current artist-teachers. Artist-teachers are encouraged

to creatively envision a course relevant to students’

interest and to address a specific technique, media, or

concept. Proposals include suggested grade level,

general goals and objectives, and a brief week-by-week

listing of content, as well as an equipment and

materials list. Artist-teachers may submit more than one

proposal, although most teach only one course per

term. Education staff reviews the proposals and makes

choices based on overall program needs.

2. Every term our education staff spends time observing

students in each of the studio courses, occasionally

participating in class critiques. Based on those observa-

tions, staff may feel that a certain type of course could

be helpful in addressing technical or creative “needs” of

students. Staff then develops a pertinent course proposal.

In this case, education staff makes a match between

an artist-teacher and the course content and asks the

artist-teacher for input as the course is developed. If and

when a course fills quickly due to high demand, future

programs may be adjusted to meet this anticipated need.

3. Students also have a voice. At the conclusion of each

term, students are polled about their opinions and

provided with a forum to suggest other topics they’d

like to explore. Education staff takes these requests

into consideration.

Marwen is about access and opportunity,development of confidenceand creativity, and thebenefits that can emergewith perseverance andself-realization.

34 CYD ENGEL

Q HOW ARE PROGRAMS AND ARTIST-TEACHERS EVALUATED?

Each term, students, artist-teachers, and teaching assistants

are required to fill out a written course evaluation that

assesses a variety of areas, including content, studio facility,

materials, and program support. Using written and direct

observation, education staff members perform ongoing

review of how well each course meets its educational goals

and objectives. Other parts of the assessment include

monitoring retention rates and reviewing student work.

Q HOW DOES MARWEN PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE?

At Marwen, college planning programs complement the

studio courses. The program includes practical information,

such as understanding the college application process,

investigating and applying for financial aid and scholar-

ships, taking practice ACT tests, and developing a college

essay. Students can take an intensive pre-college summer

course to prepare their portfolios for admission to art

schools or university programs. Facilitated trips to colleges

and universities allow students a look at campus life.

The career development programs introduce youth to

an array of career options. Students participate in sessions

on how to write an effective résumé, survive interviews,

understand workplace etiquette, manage financial planning,

excel at public speaking, and obtain internships.

Career planning is introduced at a relatively early age at

Marwen, with a career mapping course available to students

in the seventh and eighth grades. More in-depth courses

focus on specific careers, such as photography or graphic

design. An annual Career Day brings professionals from

diverse fields to meet one-on-one with students and discuss

their chosen profession, educational backgrounds, and

possible career paths.

Meaningful work experience is also available to students

who apply for, and are hired into, positions in the

Marwen Holiday Card Program, Art at Work, and mural

commission programs. From the initial application through

the employment interview and the presentation of work

to clients, each of these programs is designed to provide

real-world work and business experience. Beyond providing

individual students with the tools for success, Marwen’s

career development programs directly contribute to the

Chicago community, fostering the development of creative,

socially responsible, and well-equipped young people,

eager to embark upon rewarding careers.

Marwen alumni consistently report thatthe things they most valued about being atMarwen were the atmosphere of respect

(for both students and artist-teachers), a sense of belonging to a diverse community, and the wide range of courses offered.


More than 90 percent of Marwen students who participate in college and career programs go on to attend colleges and universities, oftenreceiving significantfinancial aid or scholar-ships, with about10 percent choosing art schools.

Q WHAT’S AFTER MARWEN?

Marwen seeks to provide the highest-quality technical

training and the most positive environment possible. More

than 90 percent of Marwen students who participate in

college and career programs go on to attend colleges and

universities, often receiving significant financial aid or

scholarships, with about 10 percent choosing art schools.

Marwen alumni consistently report that the things they

most valued about being at Marwen were the atmosphere

of respect (for both students and artist-teachers), a sense

of belonging to a diverse community, and the wide range

of courses offered.

Even after graduation, Marwen students return for a variety

of alumni program offerings, such as workshops on how

to apply for graduate school and how to write exhibition

proposals for galleries. Opportunities for exhibition continue

with nine alumni exhibitions per year mounted in a special

alumni gallery. The presentation of these exhibitions

gives emerging young artists visibility, a venue to sell work,

and an experience with installation and public presentation.

On the way to class, current students pass by the work

of former students and are motivated to expand their skills

as they chart their futures.

Americorps

Amherst College

Barnard College

Boston University

Bradley University

Brandeis University

Brown University

California College

of the Arts

Columbia College

Concordia University

The Cooper Union

DePaul University

Dominican University

Earlham College

Eastern University

Harvard University

Hofstra University

Howard University

The Illinois Institute

of Art

Kansas City Art Institute

Knox College

Loyola University

Marquette University

Michigan State University

Milwaukee Institute of Art

and Design

New York University

Northeastern University

Northern Illinois University

Northern Michigan University

Oberlin College

Pratt Institute

Rhode Island School of Design

San Francisco Art Institute

Sarah Lawrence College

The School of the Art Institute

of Chicago

Spelman College

Syracuse University

Temple University

University of Chicago

University of Connecticut

University of Illinois

Washington University

Yale University

IN 2003, MARWEN GRADUATES WERE ACCEPTED BY THESE

INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND SERVICE PROGRAMS

39

STUDIO ONE: TECHNOLOGY

Marwen students transport their artistic skills into the digital

realm in the Technology Studio. A wide range of two-dimen-

sional, graphic design, video, sound, and animation courses

are available each term. Powerful software and hardware

in the hands of creative students lead to a wide array of

original projects and to Marwen Wired, a biennial exhibition

that features the digital work of students who are making the

most of what technology tools have to offer the artist.

STUDIO TWO: PAINTING AND DRAWING

The cornerstone of Marwen’s studio program has historically

been painting and drawing. Courses are available from

beginning to advanced levels. Marwen students have the

opportunity to develop and refine their skills in a variety

of painting media, including oil, watercolor, and acrylics. For

students interested in pursuing art majors in college, courses

in nude figure drawing and painting help them to prepare

a college-level portfolio for submission for application

to schools such as The School of the Art Institute of Chicago,

Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, and Kansas

City Art Institute.

STUDIO THREE: MIXED MEDIA

Collage, printmaking, bookbinding, and mixed media

drawing are some of the courses offered in the Mixed

Media Studio. This studio provides a stunning view of the

downtown Chicago skyline that eventually appears in

many students’ works. Offering diverse courses, from alumni-

led workshops to book illustration, this studio is one of the

busiest at Marwen. It accommodates up to 24 students.

STUDIO FOUR: CERAMICS

Up to 16 students can work on electric potter’s wheels or

create hand-built ceramic pieces in this studio. Plenty

of storage, a separate glazing area, and an electric kiln

are the foundation for a variety of explorations with

clay. Students explore the medium through the creation

of functional and more abstract three-dimensional objects.

IN THE MARWEN STUDIOS

“In our studio work, we always have the supplies we need to express ourselves in the most creative ways.”

40 IN THE MARWEN STUDIOS

STUDIO FIVE: PHOTOGRAPHY

Much of Marwen’s program growth in the past year

has been in the area of photography, both analog and,

more recently, digital. Beginning, intermediate, and

advanced level courses are offered, with a focus on giving

students an understanding of photographic techniques as

well as insights into the various applications of photography,

including fine art, commercial, and documentary.

Complementary career courses give students insight into

photography-related careers. 35mm and large-format (4x5)

photography, as well as experimental processes, are

featured. A complete darkroom, classroom, and computer

stations especially equipped for photographic applications

accommodate up to 16 students per class.

STUDIO SIX: ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Marwen’s Entrepreneurship Studio supports a range

of practices and programs, including mural commission

projects, the Holiday Card Program, and Art at Work.

Six computer stations with graphic design software are

also available for student use in this studio.

THE COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER

The College and Career Center serves as a hub for students

investigating options for higher education and professional

training. The resource library is updated quarterly with

program bulletins and college and university catalogs. Three

computer stations, with high-speed Internet access, are

available and play a key role as students research college

options, write essays, and file completed applications.

Keith O. Anderson

Eduardo Angel

Catherine Baker

Barlow

Jeff Beebe

Kristine Brailey

John Brunetti

Steve Ciampaglia

Kee Chan

Juan Chavez

Lisa Cinelli

Kimberly Clark

Keri Coggins

David Criner

Jen Davis

Guillermo Delgado

Cyd Engel

John Eskandari

Kristian Espinosa

Ryan Flesher

Maria Gaspar

Theaster Gates

Luke Grimm

Sarah Hadley

Olen Hsu

Regin Igloria

Dori Jacobsohn

Benjamin Jaffe

Marge Kelly

Surendra Lawoti

Jason Lazarus

Maggie Leininger

Lou Mallozzi

Talia Maltz

Joseph Merideth

Natalie Miller

Jennifer Mindel

Bobberate Monley

Amy Moore

Michal Raz-Russo

Kerry Richardson

Darrell Roberts

Leah Schreiber

Sumakshi Singh

Eva Snopek

Kenneth Stewart

Mary Helen Fernandez

Stewart

Gabriel Villa

Guy Villa

Ian Weaver

Cynthia Weiss

Ann Worthing

Darryl Young

Shirley Weese Young

ARTIST-TEACHERS, 2003–2004 SCHOOL YEAR

41

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Antonia Contro

Executive Director

DEVELOPMENT STAFF

Rhonda Saffold

Director of Development

and Marketing

Kelly Ireton

Assistant Director of

Development

Isa Dorros

Development Associate

Earned Income and

Publications

Kerry Hayes

Development Associate

Individual Giving

Nick Rodriguez

Grants Administrator

Sarah Polachek

Holiday Card Coordinator

EDUCATION STAFF

Cyd Engel

Director of Education

Keri Coggins

Manager of Studio Programs

Gina Fieramosca

Manager of College and

Career Programs

Marge Kelly

Manager of School and

Teacher Partnerships

Maggie Leininger

Manager of Outreach

Jack Cantey

Coordinator of Studio

Programs

Emily Ullrich

Coordinator of College and

Career Programs

Sadie Woods

Coordinator of Alumni

Programs

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Steven P. Berkowitz

Chairman

Rodrigo del Canto

John D. Cartland

John W. Castle

Liza DeGraff

Andrew Dembitz

Shawn M. Donnelley

Suzie Glickman

James Hill III

Lester D. Holt

Vicki V. Hood

Lamar A. Johnson

Andrea Kayne Kaufman

H. Michael Kurzman

Scott Lang

Carol Levy

Barbara Goodman Manilow

Gail F. Marks

Ed Paschke

James J. Pelts

Gerald M. Penner

Jorge Pérez-Pérez*

Ady Rosenberg

Amy Merritt Rule

David W. Ruttenberg

Manny Sanchez

Leif L. Selkregg

William S. Singer

Sheri Spielman

John A. Svoboda

Bryan S. Traubert

Andy Weimer

Jaye Morgan Williams

Robert Wislow

Hilary Wolfe

Sadie Woods*

*Alumni Board Co-Chairs

42 LOOKING FORWARD

This book was made possible through generous support

from The Wallace Foundation. Per a multiyear grant

awarded in 2004, Marwen is implementing a four-year

plan to extend its reach to more urban youth and to

codify our pedagogical method, including describing the

organization’s philosophy, culture, and programs

through this publication. Finally, the overarching goal

of the grant is to build participation in the arts by dissemi-

nating Marwen’s model of arts education and youth

development, both locally and nationally.

Under the terms of the grant, and as part of our tradition

of growth and community service, Marwen’s goals for the

period 2004–2007 are as follows:

> To attact a greater number of under-served youth,

significantly expanding our student population

> To retain current levels of racial and ethnic

diversity and extend our programs to historically

under-represented Chicago neighborhoods

> To expand the number of studio courses by 25 percent

to 30 percent

> To develop sequential tracks for our studio, college,

and career programs

MANAGING EDITOR: KATHLEEN INEMAN

DESIGN: NATALIE MILLS BONTUMASI

ART DIRECTION: DEB VOSS AND NATALIE MILLS BONTUMASI

VIDEO STILLS: RYAN FLESHER

FUEL IS TYPESET IN GRAHAM, DESIGNED BY JOSEPH ESSEX IN 1995,

FUTURA, DESIGNED BY PAUL RENNER IN 1927, AND DOMESTOS 98,

DESIGNED BY GUNTER SCHWARZMAIER IN 2000.

THE PAPER STOCK IS DOMTAR LUNA SILK 100# COVER AND

DOMTAR LUNA SILK 100# TEXT.

LOOKING FORWARD

Marwen’s Official Paper Sponsor

Founded in 1987, Marwen is a nonprofit

out-of-school arts organization that provides

high quality visual arts programs — free

of charge — to Chicago’s under-served youth

in grades 6–12. Serving a diverse body of

students from nearly every zip code in Chicago,

Marwen offers a broad range of studio courses

including painting, drawing, photography,

video, and ceramics, as well as college

planning and career development programs.

In 2003, more than 2,200 Chicago students,

alumni, artists, and teachers were

reached through our programs, exhibitions,

and special events.

833 NORTH ORLEANS STREET

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60610

312.944.2418

312.944.6696 FAX

WWW.MARWEN.ORG

833 NORTH ORLEANS STREET

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60610

WWW.MARWEN.ORG

Fuel: Successful Arts Education Model

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