Our defining innovative approach, the SkyWAY, is a shift in perspective that blurs the lines of formal art education and centers on art making as an inherently educational experience.
It is a pedagogy based on open and more deeply engaging creative processes. The key elements of the approach consist of connecting, seeing, creating, and reflecting. Guided by a collaborative cohort of resident teaching artists, participants are immersed in a world of imaginative possibilities, invited to explore a broad variety of creative forms and activities. From sculpting to cooking, from 3D printing to painting, young artists are encouraged to follow their curiosity, moving freely and exploring at their own pace. The SkyWAY balances individual empowerment and collaborative action, with community-building as a central component of the curriculum.
A signature component of the SkyWAY is the Make Your Mark collaborative painting. At the beginning of each quarterly session, we hang a blank canvas that fills the front wall (approximately 5 X 12 feet) of the SkyART Studios. Over the course of the session, everyone who comes into the Studios – participants, volunteers, interns, teaching artists and visitors alike – is invited to make a mark on the canvas. This can be a single mark or a more elaborate gesture. See more of our Make Your Marks in our shop!
Please call our front desk at 773.731.9287 to inquire about registration or text “SkyWAY” to 708.414.0732 for more info!
CONNECT
– Group movement
– Take three deep breaths
– A moment of silence
We use the connecting moment to collectively slow down and touch in, so that our participants
can be fully present in art making. Utilizing simple exercises such as physical stretching or
taking three deep breaths together, we aim to utilize this moment to connect to our bodies
and minds in order to create positive intention for students’ time spent in the SkyWAY
program. We do not sit during this time as young people have just come from school and have
been sitting all day. We use this time to engage their energy and be constantly vigilant as to
not recreate the feeling of a classroom.
SEE
– Field trips
– Exposure to new art forms
– Expanding definitions of what art can be
By looking and learning how to see, we gain an understanding of the language of art,
challenge our ideas of what art can be (things that don’t look like art can be art), gain an ability
to analyze and develop critical thinking skills. Exposure to different art forms helps participants
develop their own artistic voice. By looking at a wide range of art styles from across history to
the present, ideas of “good” or “bad” art are dissolved and process comes into focus.
CREATE
– Experimentation
– Collaboration
– Freedom of choice
Art making is at the center of everything we do at SkyART. Participants are encouraged to
explore different materials, find inspiration from a diverse cohort of teaching artists, and apply
what they learn to their individual and/or collaborative projects. SkyART provides a supportive
environment where youth from all developmental stages can create art and learn life skills. This
process provides a safe platform for participants to play, explore new ideas, and practice how
to work with others. We focus on process rather than outcome.
REFLECT
– What do you see?
– What did you learn?
– Why?
We reflect to better understand ourselves, our peers, our community and possibly the world in
the context of making art. Creating language to express ourselves is a vital component to the
development of the young minds. We do not just do this at the end of the SkyWAY, we do it
throughout the session. We should always be engaging the youth in a reflective dialogue and
asking them questions.