ASM Darkroom Photography at Chicago Academy gives teens the opportunity to work as professional artists.  The program exposes teens to the many facets of a working artist's life:  art appreciation, art production, marketing and client communication.  With the guidance of their instructors, teens  produce a body of work, assemble that work in a public exhibition and promote the exhibition. 

The program's goal is to build teen self-confidence through technical mastery and long term time management skills.  First, the instructors establish a professional rapport with the teens, then they concentrate that energy into the production of traditional B/W prints.  In addition to the soft skills gleaned in the daily maintenance of a photography studio, teens gain an increased awareness of their community through reflective photographic investigation.  Issues explored in the teens work include, but are not limited to:  community, family, home, nature, self, friends, and politics.  Teens are held accountable for all aspects of the production process, from maintenance of the studio and its tools, to the promotion of their work via web publishing.

Program Description

During the 10 week program, teens are responsible for the completion of several projects.  Each project is  broken into easily accessible stages:  art history, vocabulary, planning, production, critique and discussion.  While completing these stages, teens  build ownership over their environment via rotating duties and management responsibilities.  This darkroom management scheme frees the instructors from repetitive tasks and allows us to complete the project along side the teens, granting them hands-on experience with working professionals.  This is highly effective when teaching the techniques of dodging and burning prints.  While being a fundamental of professional photography – the delicate nature and lack of immediate feedback means that it must be experienced to be understood.  Working with the teens directly on this technique ensures a speedy uptake of the necessary skill set and results in a higher general level of performance.

Group critiques occur at the end of each project.  While promoting the field of art as an open forum for communication, stress is placed on the marketability of the teens' work and clarity of their message.  This gives each teen an opportunity for public speaking.  Listening and communication skills are fostered via guided discussions where teens articulate the nuances of their work and their inspiration.  Positive reinforcement maintains a courteous and respectful environment where each teen is encouraged to share their ideas.

The program culminates in a final show.  The best of the teens' work is organized into a cohesive body and presented in a public and professional space.  The teens themselves are responsible for the promotion, marketing and hosting of this show – employing valuable networking and sales skills.

The teens need to feel connected to the professional world.  They must see first hand an immediate opportunity to utilize art as a means of financial support.  This requires them to learn marketable job skills such as resume building, cover letters, portfolio development, and time management.  Field trips to the working artists studios and established centers of exhibited art (including, but not limited to the Chicago Arts District, River North Gallery District, Museum of Contemporary Art and Art Institute of Chicago) expose the teens to art photography's varied public image.  By combining art history and pop cultural events, the teens see their work as a direct result of their environment.  Exposing them to new environments empowers a sense of self and forces reliance on learned skills.   Interactions with visiting artists and professionals at local institutions give the students a greater sense of  opportunities for advancement in the arts.