Studioworks
Communities In Schools of New Jersey

Aware of the absence of quality after-school programming for high school students, Communities In Schools of New Jersey founded Studioworks in 1999. This innovative program keeps hundreds of young adults safe, productive, and engaged in their community. Over the past seven years, more than 450 Newark students have received training and employment in the visual and performing arts, benefiting both the participants and their community.

Studioworks operates year-round, offering after-school workshops in the fall and spring and a full employment session during the summer. Seasoned professional artists teach all of the workshops, which span a broad range of artistic disciplines, from photography to mural painting to vocal training. At the conclusion of each session, Studioworks hosts a public exhibition, a sale of the students’ work, or a performance.

Participation in the fall and spring workshops is a prerequisite for enrolling in the five-week summer session. These advanced students earn a salary for working 25 hours a week. The program sets high standards for the participants, whose assignment is to create commissioned artwork and products such as park benches, greeting cards, public murals, and vocal recordings. These marketable items are available for purchase by the public.

Indicators of Studioworks’ success are its high retention rate, as well as the consistently high-quality work created by its participants. In fact, the Holiday Card Program produces and sells tens of thousands of professional-quality greeting cards annually. In addition, students exhibit their work at such prestigious venues as the Montclair Art Museum, attracting large crowds of friends, family, and the general public.

Developing marketable skills is central to Studioworks’ mission. All participants leave the program with the tools they need to establish a professional career: an artistic statement, a resume, and a portfolio. Even though they come from the state’s lowest performing high schools, many enroll in some of the nation’s most distinguished art schools.

Studioworks operates on the simple belief that all young people deserve a safe and empowering environment in which to learn and develop their talents. Through this program, the teens and young adults of Essex County are guaranteed such a space.