Harwood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mayor’s Art Summer Institute is a paid summer internship in the arts for youth ages 16 - 24.

This program is administered by the Harwood Art Center. Each summer, the Institute creates a permanent handmade tile mosaic on a major public building in Albuquerque. During the summer of 2011, we continued our mosaic work on the Albuquerque Convention Center with a group of phenomenal new young artists.

Check out snapshots from the 2011 Summer Art Institute's "Feathered Brilliance"

The Art Summer Institute recruits applicants from every high school in Albuquerque, as well as UNM and CNM. The selection process is always very competitive; we typically are only able to hire one out of every 5 applicants. Students are hired on the basis of their art experience and their desire for a positive and intensive work experience in the arts.

During the program, apprentices help to finalize a mosaic design, cut tiles from wet clay, glaze them, fire tiles in a kiln, and install and grout the mosaic.

If you have questions about the program, you are welcome to call Cassandra at (505) 507-8204 or email cassandra@lotustileworks.com. You may also call Darby at 242-6367, or email her at darby@harwoodartcenter.org.

---

Background

In 2006, Harwood became the proud parent organization for the Mayor’s Art Summer Institute. Funded by the Youth Conservation Corps, the City of Albuquerque and Escuela del Sol/Harwood, ASI is a unique summer program that hires teens to apprentice with lead artists to create public artworks. ASI offers a rare opportunity for young artists to spend their summer developing their artistic skills, work ethic and knowledge of the arts with experienced and talented mentors.

Next time you're Downtown, check out "Feathered Brilliance," "The Tree of Life," "The Garden of Transformation," "First Light," and "Dance of the Matachines," all installed on the east complex of the Albuquerque Convention Center. Read our blog about the 2009 installation of "Dance of the Matachines."

If you are, or know of, a student who would be interested in applying for the Mayor’s Art Summer Institute, please call Harwood and ask to be added to the ASI database. Applications are available in February and due mid-March. Likewise, if you are a business or individual who would like more information about supporting this program, please call Harwood at 242-6367.