2024 Young Environmentalists Program Now Enrolling!

2024 marked our third year of Young Environmentalists! We will be enrolling for our Spring 2025 season early in January, please check back or sign up for our mailing list.

During this 9-week program, young people (middle school and high school ages) have the opportunity to work with a variety of professional artists and activist groups to focus on how art and environmentalism intersect, and how to make their voices heard about the issues that matter most to them. Students identify an environmental issue that is personally resonant, learning different art-making techniques that culminate in a large-scale, collaborative art project. Thanks to the generous support of the Madrona Institute, this program is free of charge!

Each year, Alchemy invites different guest teachers to help us shape our program. Our 2024 session featured local biologist and educator Kari Koski, environmental activist and artist Nykita Palmisani, Spring Street School music teacher John Wheatley, and special guests String and Shadow Puppet Theater from Olympia. Field trips included a Sense of Place exploration of the County Park, and a materials sourcing trip to the Lopez Take It or Leave It. Our final project was a large collaborative puppet performance a the Great Island Garage Sale and the Farmers Market. You can see a video of the final project by Artist-in-Residence Andy Thomas (Nosferatune) below.

Areas of focus and projects include:

  • Sense of Place

  • Artistic Collaboration

  • Mural Painting

  • Design/Messaging

  • Printmaking/DIY Publishing

  • Waste Systems and Creative Reuse

  • Large-scale sculptural puppet building (with special guests String and Shadow Theater Company)

  • Artful Activism/Demonstrating

TIME AND PLACE

This program takes place from late March to mid-May. Students typically meet at Alchemy once per week, but there are some weekend field-trips as well. School bus transportation is available for most weekday meetings.

APPLICANT EXPECTATIONS

  • Be able to attend most dates

  • Have interest in art and environmental stewardship

  • Be willing to try new things and participate in a final art show