We invest in the power of young artists!
Marwen exists to educate and inspire young people to nurture their growth and build their futures through art and community. Our classes and programs are designed to provide a nurturing environment for our students to experiment with new art forms, build new friendships, and craft relationships with caring adults and peers.
Rooted in the core values of creative youth development (youth voice, racial and social justice, collective action) our programs aim to cultivate youth-centered, supportive, and collaborative environments and communities to facilitate relevant visual arts programming with Chicago’s young people.
At Marwen, we believe:
- Young people have critical and vital stories to tell.
- Young people have the power to imagine and create our future.
- Art is a tool for connection, healing, growth, and justice.
- Artists drive and create social change.
- Access to art and creativity is an essential human right and need.
At Marwen, young artists of all experience levels:
- Access leadership and employment opportunities.
- Build a supportive and creative community with other young artists.
- Learn about art as a vehicle for social change.
- Collaborate with teaching artists.
- Explore an array of artistic techniques.
- Access materials and art studio spaces.
At Marwen, we offer:
- No-cost visual arts classes for Chicago 6-12th graders in Photography, Painting, Drawing, Ceramics, Film, Animation, Digital and Game Design, Comics, Illustration, Sculpture, Fashion, Fiber, and more.
- Access to modern artmaking amenities, including 8 studios, 2 labs, 3 galleries, an on-site kiln, and darkroom.
- Free art supplies in every class.
- Hands-on workshops in addition to classes.
- Family-friendly events and 3 term-based exhibition celebrations annually.
- Commissioned based opportunities for 16-18 year old artists.
- Paid summer internship program.
- A city-wide network of artists, arts organizations, creative companies, colleges, and universities.
And they’re off!! The 2026 Artward Bound cohort of young artists gathered at Marwen this morning and caravanned to Spring Green, Wisconsin. They will spend a week making art, discovering new and wild spaces, and building community at Frank Lloyd Wright’s former home and studio, @taliesinwi. We can’t wait to see what you all create! 💜🌳🎨
📣📣📣 LAST CALL FOR APPLICATIONS 📣📣📣
We are looking for the next generation of incredible Teaching Artists! If you are a visual artist over 18 years old looking to grow your teaching practice, the META (Marwen Emerging Teaching Artist) program could be for you!
METAs will sign on for a paid 3-term program (Fall 2026 through Summer 2027) wherein they will shadow and assist Teaching Artists, develop and facilitate their own workshops, and attend regular meetings to grow their teaching practice and learn fundamentals of creative youth development.
If you are a visual artist, including drawing, painting, ceramics, fashion and fiber, photography (digital and darkroom), film, animation, 3D printing, mosaic, mixed media, and more, head to https://www.marwen.org/work-at-marwen/ (link in bio) for the full job description and apply by June 8th!
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Marwen is looking BACK and AHEAD! 💜
Over the next week, we`ll share some fun clips of a *very* special new video featuring Steve Berkowitz (Marwen`s founder) and Wendy Fleishman (Steve`s daughter, Marwen board member, and the "wen" in Marwen).
Steve and Wendy share memories from Marwen`s early days (the 1980s!!) and look ahead to what`s next for Marwen.
Our Exec Director Akilah Halley says, "It`s a warm, funny, and occasionally surprising conversation about nearly 40 years of opening doors for Chicago`s young people—and a reminder that some of the best ideas start small and keep growing."
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO:
[link in bio]
YouTube: youtube.com/@Marwen-Chicago
Summer Term has lots of exciting stuff coming up soon! Here are some important dates to keep in mind.
Welcome to Marwen Summer 2026!
“25@833”
Celebrating 25 years at 833 N. Orleans Street
