We are excited to welcome Teaching Artist Stephanie McDonnell as she joins the Arts for Learning team as the ArtWorks Teaching Artist this fall semester.

Arts experiences help young people build meaningful relationships, strengthen their sense of identity, and develop pathways toward future careers.

Arts for Learning WNY is excited to announce that we are hiring ArtWorks Apprentices for the 2026-2027 school year!

This Fall, Teaching Artists Laura Chenault guided 14 students through photography, book arts, and mixed media projects, while Kristin Brandt worked with 18 students exploring sculpture. Each cohort spent 12-13 weeks crafting high-quality artwork while engaging in meaningful skill-building exercises. The ArtWorks Showcase offers the public a chance to experience these young artists’ accomplishments firsthand.

This fall, 36 high school students were accepted into our ArtWorks program - a paid, creative, arts-based training and college readiness program for high school students. Apprentices are hired as paid participants and mentored by professional Teaching Artists in a specific art form. Through this experience, students develop both artistic skills and transferable life and workforce skills that prepare them for success in college, careers, and beyond.

As the fall season settles in, I'm reflecting on the incredible young people who fill our classrooms and studios with creativity, curiosity, and hope. Among them is A’ishah, a high school student who joined our ArtWorks program last year, and whose story perfectly captures why your support matters so deeply.