Established in 1998, Blaffer Gallery's Young Artist Apprenticeship Program (YAAP) is a free after-school intensive art-making experience for 12 teens from partnering high school art programs at Austin High School, Cesar Chavez High School, and Eastwood Academy. Goals of the comprehensive six-week workshop are:

• to build critical thinking, problem-solving and collaborative skills
• to nurture creativity and independent thinking
• to raise self-esteem
• to help students develop good work habits and improve artistic skills

In short, YAAP strives to give students skills they will need as they pursue higher education.

YAAP students are taught by two accomplished, professional artist mentors who are also dedicated teachers. The workshop meets four days per week, as students undertake progressively difficult art projects informed by a concurrent Blaffer exhibition. Additionally, university students in the Blaffer Student Association make regular class visits, and YAAP students take field trips to area museums. Students learn the value of leadership and teamwork, build critical skills, and develop new artistic processes and vocabulary as they work to create ambitious final projects. The program culminates in a student exhibition and reception, where two students receive scholarship awards for futher study at a two or four year degree-granting college or university. YAAP graduates are eligible to join the Blaffer Gallery Alumni Program (Blaffer GAP).

Currently, participating schools are Austin High School , Cesar Chavez High School , and Eastwood Academy. We are seeking a fourth school participant to complement our current roster. Admission is competitive and interested teachers should contact Katherine Veneman, Curator of Education, at 713.743.9526. Interested students should contact their art teachers.

The Young Artist Apprenticeship Program’s scholarships are provided with an endowment from the Martha Meier Memorial Scholarship Fund, established in 2006.

The 2009 Young Artist Apprenticeship Program is sponsored by the Travelers Foundation.