“At Marwen, we see firsthand how art fuels a young person’s skills, nourishes their soul, and shapes their identity. Our students are not only citizens of Chicago, but citizens of the world.”
– Akilah Halley, Marwen Executive Director & Alumna
Marwen offers accessible arts programming in many ways.
Marwen’s no-cost programs exist for young artists in Chicago who want to explore visual arts, can commit to a multi-week art class, are in 6-12th grades during the 2025/26 school year, and do not have access to arts programming due to financial and systemic barriers. See how our mission of investing in the power of young artists makes an impact.
Here’s a look at the courses and programs we offer throughout the year:
Spring (February-May)
- Spring Term: 10-week classes meet once per week for 2.5 hours, Wednesday – Friday evenings and two Saturday sessions
- Youth Pathways Spring Workshop Series: 4+ workshops focused on professional, college, and individual development
- Spring Break Workshops: daily 2.5 hour workshops (morning and afternoon), Monday – Friday during CPS Spring Break
- Design to Print: 15 young people ages 16-18 participate in a commissioned greeting card-making course
Summer (July-August)
- Summer term: 2-week classes meet daily during the day (morning and afternoon sessions) for 2.5 hours each, Monday – Friday
- Art@Work: 18 young people ages 16-18 participate in a 5-week creative internship program at Marwen or with a partner organization or company across the city
- Artward Bound: 10 young people ages 16-18 participate in a 1-week arts residency program at Taliesin, the home and studio of famed architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, in Spring Green, Wisconsin
Fall (September – November)
- Fall term: 10-week classes meet once per week for 2.5 hours, Wednesday – Friday evenings and two Saturday sessions
- Youth Pathways Fall Workshop Series: 4+ workshops focused on professional, college, and individual development.
- Lab Residency: 20 young people ages 16-18 participate in a year-long program working on personal projects with direct support from teaching artists
Hear from Marwen parents why they choose Marwen for their children…
“This is such a fantastic organization. I’m so happy to have discovered them and have my son fall in love with them.”
Joelle Minassian (Hear more from Joelle about her and her son’s experience at Marwen)
Marwen Parent
“We need artists. This is a time when we need to be inspired, to be uplifted, to be able to have difficult conversations with respect, and only art is able to do that.”
Deneen Gillespie (Hear more from Deneen about why Marwen is important to her and her daughter)
Marwen parent & Board member
“We Are Here”
We all come from somewhere, and together, we are all Marwen.