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October 17, 2022. ST. JOSEPH, MICH – Founded in the summer of 2020, Krasl Art Center’s (KAC) Teen Arts Council (TAC) was formed to provide a safe space for teens ages 13–19 to be creative while inspiring artmaking, leadership, and professional development skills. KAC was approached by the Howell family soon after the TAC began. In May of 2021, the family made a memorial gift of $10,000 in honor of their son Greg Howell, who took solace in the arts, to expand the depth of the program. After a successful first year, Krasl Art Center is excited to announce the Howell family has contributed another gift for the 2022-2023 school year.
“The Howell family, after several years of brainstorming, is excited to have become involved with Krasl Art Center’s new Teen Arts Council. This is so meaningful to us because our son/brother Greg was so deeply involved in the art world. He attended various classes, workshops & summer camps at KAC during his youth. The TAC would have been perfect for him; to connect with other teens with similar interests. It would have helped prepare him for his future attendance at the Illinois Institute of Art. Since he took his own life, we have looked for a special way to honor him in a way that also shows his concern for others, especially those who also struggle with depression. We are proud to be able to provide an annual monetary gift to enable the growth of such a beneficial program.” —Jessie & Bob Howell, Kim Winn, and Stephanie Howell
The second gift comes right as the 2022-2023 season begins for the TAC. Meetings begin on Wednesday, October 19, 6 – 8 pm. Future dates are listed online at krasl.org/education/teen-arts-council and updates are posted on the TAC Instagram page, @kraslteens. Decisions are being made for the school year. Teens are invited to come and join KAC to shape opportunities for teen artists.
The addition of this memorial gift enabled the program to expand beyond the original goals identified by KAC staff. Participants enjoyed free programs such as Visiting Artist Workshops featuring artists the TAC selected, including Screenprinting on Clay with Israel Davis, graffiti with ASMA Speeks, and an enamel workshop with jewelry artist Vicki Cook. The TAC planned and attended free regional excursions, including chauffeur transportation, admission, and meals to Hook Pottery Paper, where they learned about papermaking and mold making with Jon Hook and Andrea Peters. They also visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
These programs were in addition to bi-weekly artmaking gatherings in KAC studios during the school year and weekly artmaking gatherings in KAC studios in the summer months that included shoe painting with Gershon Clay, button-making, wheel throwing, plushie-making with Dani Davis, relief printmaking with Jennifer Zona, and upcycling and clothing swap, and face painting at Benton Harbor Juneteenth Celebration.
Beyond leading in the classroom, TAC members have additional opportunities to sell original artwork at the Krasl Art Fair on the Bluff presented by 1st Source Bank. Because of these 30+ opportunities, seven Teaching Assistants and six emerging artists had real-world experiences within the arts last year. Thirty young people have been touched by TAC since its inception in 2020.
The coming year will include youth-driven programs and excursions similar to the past year. Thanks to the Howell Family’s memorial gift and a new grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) New Leaders program, TAC members are now also eligible to apply for paid Teacher Assistant positions in KAC’s studio classes and camps. The KAC Teen Arts Council continues to be an incubator for emerging artists, faculty, and leaders in our community. As part of the group structure, TAC members elect peer co-chairs to guide decision-making, including guest art visitors and presentation topics of interest. These positions also offer a paid stipend. A KAC staff advisor guides success for all participants.
“TAC had an amazing impact on my high school years. It was inspirational to work with so many other people my age and to build a small community around art. I looked forward to each weekly TAC meeting, no matter what we were doing. And, it was also amazing to be the creator of it, TAC was (and still kind of feels) like my child.” – Eliot Schlaack, former TAC Co-chair and current University of Michigan Fine Art Student.
2022-23 Teen Arts Council is supported by a Memorial Gift in honor of Greg Howell with additional support from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.
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