history

Art At Work (AAW) was developed in 1995 by Fulton County Arts Council (FCAC) as a six-week summer program to provide arts education and job training for youth, ages 14 - 16, who were interested in the visual arts. Since AAW's inception, it has evolved into year-round and summer programming that has served hundreds of Fulton County youth.    Teens are integrally involved in all aspects of production and marketing while learning valuable work skills.

Over the course of a year, participants receive instruction from professional visual artists; social and employment skill development from professionals; are exposed to the business and entrepreneurial aspects of the arts as they exhibit their work locally; and earn an income for creating art.  Program participants become Apprentice Artists; producing artwork is their job.

Through ongoing quarterly evaluations that measure immediate, intermediate, and long-term outcomes of the program, Fulton County has identified an innovative, cost-effective measure to reduce the number of youth from returning to Fulton County Juvenile Court (FCJC) on a more serious offense, while providing opportunities for youth to develop the necessary skills to lead productive lives.

Year-Round after-school program

Art At Work (AAW) year round after school program provides sequential arts instruction during the school year, in partnership with Fulton County Juvenile Court. This program employs 15 youth per 10-week session.
Youth participants are hired as Apprentice Artists and receive hourly pay for producing artwork. Pay is "docked" if students are late or absent.
Over the course of a year, AAW participants receive art instruction from a team of professional artists, who instruct the elements and principles of art to help youth:

1. master a technical skill
2. develop skill of invention and observation
3. promote problem-solving/creative solution
4. develop flexible attitude towards process and production
5. promote discipline and realize a sense of accomplishment.

To broaden their sense of community and artistic experience, field trips to galleries, museums and art studios are included in the program. Students also participate in job readiness seminars, which prepares them for the workforce after they have completed the one-year program.
Based on the success of our summer program, FCAC was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) as one of three arts agencies to participate in the YouthARTS Development Project (1995-1998), a national research project designed to measure the impact of youth arts programs in reducing adolescent problem behaviors associated with juvenile delinquency. Evaluation statistics are published in the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Bulletin, May 2001 (create link).

In the fall of 1996, FCAC entered into a partnership with the Fulton County Juvenile Court (FCJC) to adapt our summer model into a year-round program serving court referred youth.  FCAC, recognizing the need to be proactive rather than reactive, and to fill the demand from the community to serve adjudicated youth not being referred by the juvenile court, evolved to accept referrals from alternative and GED programs, local public/private schools, art/social youth organizations, self referred parents and participants.

Today, AAW serves a vibrant mixed population of talented adolescent youth.

Click here to download a year-round application form.

2007-2008 YEAR-ROUND AFTER SCHOOL SESSION BEGINS OCTOBER 8, 2007
Applications and interviewers will begin early September 2007

summer program

Art At Work (AAW) summer program is a six week session that employees 20 to 25 youth during the summer months.
Youth participants are hired as Apprentice Artists and receive hourly pay for producing artwork. Pay is "docked" if students are late or absent.
Our summer program is a compilation of our year-round curriculum. During the summer months,  our intense summer program offers students an opportunity to design, create, construct, and exhibit handcrafted challenging projects instructed by a team of professional local artists. Business professionals expose students to the business and entrepreneurial aspects of the arts in conjunction with employment skill development (such as portfolio building).