Local high schoolers will show off their art at the After-school Teen Artist Residency Closing Reception from 6-8 p.m Dec. 14 . at Orr Street Studios. The art show is a culmination of all the work the students have done throughout their time in the Resident Arts program.
“We are a non-profit founded in 2014. Our mission is to provide professional development opportunities to artists at every level of their career. A way to facilitate that is to help young artists figure out what they might want to do with an art career and that is the heart of this program,” Resident Arts founder Madeleine LeMieux said. “We wanted to introduce high school students to the diversity of career paths that are available to them through relationships with actual, professional artists.”
This year RBHS had three seniors accepted into the prestigious program: Megan Goyette, Sam Hiebert and Erin Barchet.
“You just filled out a form and it asked you about your interest in arts and 10 of us got selected. There are people from all the different high schools in Columbia,” Barchet said “We met every Monday night in this semester and learned from local artists about how they did their art.”
LeMieux said each night the students learned from a different artist, covering a variety of techniques. Then the high schoolers scrambled to work on their own projects, that incorporate the lessons.
“There are four artists that are teaching them a skill. This time they learned collaborative painting, by me. They learned ink drawing, which is with calligraphy pens. They also learned bookbinding and stenciling. So they learn the skill and it is short demonstration but at the same time they talk to them about what their career has looked like, how they got to where they are right now, what they do to make ends meet and how they spend their days,” LeMieux said. “The second half is all about working to create new work using a combination of the skills they learned.”
Hiebert said the program allowed him to try things that he had not been able to previously. Also, the lack of cost, he said, allowed him and other students to gain equal access to a unique experience.
“They give young artists incredible opportunities and insight. Not only have we gotten to connect with fellow artists from other schools, but I believe we’ve all learned new techniques from the local artists we’ve met, and even gotten our own supplies to practice with,” Hiebert said. “I couldn’t have asked for more, especially from a free program, which is obviously major for underprivileged students.”
[quote]Whereas in our program, the focus was more on developing a specific skill in whatever way felt most authentic. — Madeleine LeMieux, Resident Arts founder [/quote] Barchet said normal art classes can be constrictive in nature, due to the grading aspect. This program, however, was the exact opposite; it was liberating.
“I got to work with some materials that I don’t get to work with on my own,” Barchet said. “I got to learn things that I wouldn’t have gotten to learn in a normal high school art class and that was really cool.”
This is exactly what the Residents Art program is aiming for, LeMieux said. Her hope was that the program would guide the young artists to learn new skills, but that they would apply it however they chose.
“One thing that I heard from the participants over and over again that this was a structured opportunity to make art that didn’t restrict what they were making. Everybody had a said that they are constantly making structured, restrictive pieces of art in their classes,” LeMieux said. “You have to draw a perspective piece from this perspective or do this building with this material. Whereas in our program, the focus was more on developing a specific skill in whatever way felt most authentic.”
One piece that Hiebert made that he is especially proud of was an ink drawing, that he said was different from much of his work done at school and more true to what he wanted from his artwork.
“I’ve done an ink piece during my time in the program called ‘Heavyroll’ that really stands out from the rest of my portfolio,” Hiebert said. “I’m mostly proud of it because it better defines where I want to go with my art.”
Each artist will be displaying several pieces they have created throughout their time in the program and everyone is welcome to attend. LeMieux especially emphasized that high school students should come to find out more about the Resident Arts program and to support their peers.

“Much of the art at the show is student-directed. I didn’t tell them what they had to make; all I said was ‘here is the skill you learned,’” LeMieux said. “I think it might be important for other students to see because it is the work of their peers in conjunction with professional artists and that is kind of cool. I am also hoping that other students can learn more about this program and potentially participate in the future. It is just some really cool work and it is such a fun exhibition.”
Are you interested in this program? Will you be attending the exhibition?
Find out more about Resident Arts by visiting their website: www.residentarts.org