The Hirshhorn places artists at the center of all it’s programming. ARTLAB+ workshops are no different. Over Spring Break, Boris Willis, a professional dancer with Elizabeth Streb and a professor of computer game design at George Mason University, facilitated a workshop with ArtLab mentors that exposed teens to art installation, dance, music, and theater in order to produce a culminating digital performance for museum’s Ring Auditorium. Also, New York City fashion illustrator Blue Logan will share his  expertise in a one day workshop on April 21^st.

Teens will learn how to create their own fashion illustrations using analog and digital tools. Registration has also just opened for the ArtLab’s summer workshops. Week-long opportunities will be offered to DC area aspiring broadcasters, teen animators, and young game designers. These full-day workshops offer teens a palette of technical tools so teens can combine technology in ways that best serve their ideas. If workshops teens want to continue to stay in the space the ArtLab will be a place to hang out or continue working during early evening hours.

The ArtLab has also started to boost its efforts to reach out to a range of DC area communities. Working with the eSocialMediaShop, ARTLAB+ staff are busily preparing for a community partnership event on Friday, April 20th. We expect to expose 20-25 different community organizations to the ARTLAB+ facilities as a digital learning resource on the National Mall. Attendees will get a tour of our full music recording and editing studio, a chance to experiment with our pro-level video cameras, light-kits, and green-screen, check out our video game systems and meet with ARTLAB+ mentors to discuss ways of working together. The event is also a chance for community leaders and professionals who have a shared interest in building a strong network of youth arts educations in DC. We look forward to learning from our potential community partners.