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Teens collaborate with artists in summer program

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By Pamela Dillon, Contributing Writer Updated 3:59 PM Saturday, May 1, 2010

Thirty teenagers had a unique opportunity last summer; a chance to participate in a new youth advocacy program called Blue Sky Project. The brainchild of Peter Benkendorf, the free eight-week program encourages collaboration between professional artists and youth that addresses community needs or leadership skills through art.

“I can say that the program was transformational in a way that I did not anticipate,” said Snyder, a 2009 program participant and Kettering Fairmont senior. “The program offers the rare chance to engage in curiosity with the guidance of professional artists. As a student who wishes to pursue visual art in my undergraduate studies, Blue Sky Project confirmed my passion for art and my belief in its power to uniquely illuminate issues and ideas that otherwise would be overlooked.”

Miami Valley residents will have the opportunity to see the visual art created last year by the student Blue Sky participants at Art Street Galleries on Keifaber Street. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be served. The show is designed to spark student interest in this summer’s program, which will run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday June 14 to Aug. 5.

The resident artists for this year’s program include: Michael Casselli of Yellow Springs, Joyce Lee of Baltimore, Lenka Novakova of Ste-Marthe, Quebec, Canada, John Pena of Pittsburgh and Ari Tabei of Tokyo, Japan, and New York City.

“The program operated for four years just outside of Chicago in Illinois. I decided to move to Dayton and brought the program here,” said Benkendorf. “The impact of relocating from a rural environment to an urban setting was beyond our expectations. The vibrancy of the Dayton art community proved to be a very receptive location for the program.”

This summer’s projects offer eight-person teams to work with one professional artist to produce artwork that will be exhibited or performed in public locations. The collaborative focus will be on developing leadership, creative problem solving and life-learning skills. The final exhibition will take place Aug. 6-7.

“Right now, we have about 22 applications, and we’ll take up to 40 kids in the program,” Benkendorf said. “The qualifications are not portfolio based or talent based; it’s about kids applying their creative and conceptual skills.”

Contact contributing arts writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.