TEEN ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: THE INSPIRED (AND INSPIRING) MILANA C.

Portside at Cherry Street Pier is an arts haven for creatives of all ages – but on Saturday mornings,  teen artists at Portside’s Teen Portfolio Building Workshop have a special opportunity to get together and express themselves through their art. The class has been running since 2020, when Portside became a Resident Artist Organization at Cherry Street Pier.

Since last fall, the amazing and creatively gifted teen student Milana C. has attended many of Portside's teen workshops. Milana, a 13 year old freshman in high school, came to Portside’s studio #5 at Cherry Street Pier  because she was curious and eager to learn and expand her artistic skills. "I came here to experiment," she explains. "I want to show my passion for art."

Portside's Teen Portfolio Building Workshop welcomes young people between the ages of 11-17 who have a passion for art making. The class is especially geared towards students with the goal of building an arts portfolio –  students need a portfolio that displays their technical skills in drawing and art making when they apply to a  fine arts high school or college. The four fundamental project themes include drawing from a still life, self-portraiture, figure drawing, and the exploration of multi-media. These weekly projects help teens to build awareness of the use of color, line, value, and to gain skills using various techniques.

​In addition to refining technical skills, an incredibly important objective of the class is helping teens to investigate their individuality and to express their own personal identities. Some teens lack art programs and creative avenues in school, and coming to this class gives them a much-anticipated opportunity to express themselves through art. 
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"I just like drawing my life," says Milana, speaking to her inspiration of her daily life that she uses in her artwork. Milana has done a series of different projects throughout her time at Portside, but says that her favorite project was drawing self portraits in any medium because she had the opportunity to share something about herself. 

​Milana’s family is her greatest inspiration. Her favorite artist is her very own cousin who is close in age to her and creates digital art on her iPad, which she frequently shares with Milana. 

We are so proud of Milana, and all of our budding young artists, and look forward to continuing to "Empower the Artists of Tomorrow" on their artistic journeys! Teen Portfolio Building Workshops run every Saturday from 11:30am - 1:30pm at Cherry Street Pier. For a limited time, use DISCOUNT CODE: SPRINGFORWARD to save $5 per class!

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