When I was growing up in high school, there weren’t too many academic subjects that interested me other than art. I’ll admit it. I wasn’t the most compliant teenager, and I was lucky to have people in my life who recognized my fine art skills. My high school wrestling coach was also my high school art teacher, and had he not supported my interest in art, I do not know where I’d be or what I’d be doing today.

After graduating from high school, my parents supported my decision to study art in college. They could have told me to become a rocket scientist or any number of lucrative jobs, but instead, they supported my decision to study art. Their encouragement ultimately changed the trajectory of a moody and rebellious young man.

Looking back on it now, I realize studying art helped me to think more clearly and critically. It gave me an outlet for expressing emotions, and it fostered creativity that would later transfer to other skills such as teaching. Additionally, it increased my interest in other subjects. Through studying art history, I became more interested in learning about history. Through studying sculpture, I became more interested in learning about engineering. Most importantly, art provided me with a sense of direction and discipline that I was lacking in and too confident to confess.

After obtaining several art degrees and a Master of Library Science, I now have the pleasure of coordinating the Carmel Clay Public Library’s Teen Artist in Residence program. The program launched in October 2022, and since then, I’ve been able to work with a range of talented young artists from local schools and the homeschooling community.

Through the residency program, students have worked on art projects celebrating their ethnicities or cultural backgrounds. Others have created pieces based on childhood memories, teen mental health and passion projects like illustrating and writing a children’s book. One of my favorite pieces to date is an interactive sculpture in the teen department that consists of a locker that, when opened, represents the inside of a teenager’s brain. It’s inspiring to see students tackling ambitious projects like these and addressing big ideas that are personal to them. I feel fortunate to be able to give back and provide support much like the support I needed as a teen.

Applications for the Carmel Clay Public Library’s Teen Artist in Residence program are accepted year-round. The application can be found on the library’s website, and the program is open to students in grades 6-12. If selected for the program, chosen artists are given their own studio space in the library’s teen department. They have access to this space for four consecutive months, and their project costs are covered by the library.

In exchange for the studio space and materials, artists are asked to facilitate one art class or community art event at the library. At the conclusion of their residency, each artist exhibits their work on the library’s Teen Art Wall for the duration of a month. The Teen Artist in Residence program is a great opportunity for students who would like to develop their work and have the space and resources to do so. If you thrive on the chance to be creative, then maybe this program is for you. I was once a disinterested student, and in a contradictory way, art became the anchor that propelled me forward.

Cherry is a Teen Services Librarian and the Teen Artist in Residence Coordinator at the Carmel Clay Public Library. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Mike Cherry at [email protected].