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Marwen

Marwen inspires young people, 6-12th grade in Chicago, to nurture their growth and build their futur
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Marwen inspires young people to nurture their growth and build their futures through art and community. Founded in 1987, the no-cost studio and pathway programs exist for young people in Chicago who want to explore visual arts, are in 6th-12th grades, and do not have access to arts programming due to financial and systemic barriers. Our out-of-school programming runs year-round on three seasonal t

erms: Spring, Summer, and Fall.

- Studio Programs are youth-centered courses, workshops, and residencies in a wide range of disciplines including painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, animation, fashion design, and mixed media.

- Pathways Programs are youth-centered opportunities bridging studio and creative practices through paid employment, individualized mentorship, and professional development for accessing educational and career pathways.

05/22/2026

Time for our next ✨ Young Artist Spotlight ✨

Meet Siyana, a high schooler who has haken taken classes in almost every studio at Marwen! From ceramics to animation, sewing to filmmaking, mosaics to oil painting, and even basket-weaving, Siyana is doing it all!

Drop your well wishes below, then read the full blog post on Siyana at https://www.marwen.org/meet-siyana-rahaman-community-focused-photographer/

05/19/2026

Celebrate new artwork made by youth in Marwen’s Spring 2026 studio courses and Marwen Lab 2025-2026 cohort! Make art, see new work, and buy student-designed greeting cards.

The exhibition showcases new work by students from the Spring term and Marwen Lab featuring a range of media, including paintings, sculptures, photography, film, and mixed media. This is an opportunity to celebrate the students' creativity and hard work. 🎨

Marwen Lab students will host an artist talk from 4:00 to 5:00 pm during the reception. The cohort of young artists will speak to their experience and how their artistic practice has grown during the program.

This event is FREE and open to the public. All are welcome! RSVP Now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-marwen-lab-2026-exhibition-tickets-1986483911855

05/14/2026

On May 7, 2026, Marwen returned to 167 GREEN for an evening that carried both joy and purpose.

Over 300 guests, including philanthropists, creatives, civic leaders, Marwen families, and new friends, celebrated and sustained our programs by helping to raise more than $350,000 towards critical, no-cost arts programming. Because of this generosity, young people can flourish as artists, thinkers, leaders, and thriving adults across Chicago and beyond.

See what guests were saying at the event, and then view the Paintbrush Ball 2026 photo gallery on our website: https://www.marwen.org/student-art/paintbrush-ball-2026/

05/13/2026

Are you part of 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 year-long program beginning in 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/ for the full job description and apply by June 8th!

05/01/2026

🚨 Calling all Teaching Artists! 🚨

Marwen is excited to host its first in-person course proposal information session! Join us on May 12th at 5:30pm to share helpful tips and to answer any questions you have about proposing courses.

RSVP for free and learn how to create a successful and impactful course proposal: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/course-proposal-info-session-tickets-1985404128193

04/28/2026

Time for another ✨ Young Artist Spotlight ✨

Meet Ava, a middle schooler who has taken so many free art classes at Marwen, we don’t know where to start! A talented fiber artist, a photographer, an animator, and an illustrator, Ava’s enthusiasm for learning every art form she can is so inspiring!

Drop a compliment below, then read the full blog post on Ava at https://www.marwen.org/meet-ava-vanegas-multi-media-maker/

04/24/2026

A special guest made an appearance for Marwen's "Sketching Scientific Illustration" course this Spring, and it's all thanks to the Museum! 🦖

Meet Norm, a life-size, scientifically accurate replica of a T-Rex that walked the earth 67 million years ago. Young people got the chance to inspect, sketch, and refine their observations of Norm, and turn their last day of Marwen's Spring term into a truly special experience!

We are so excited and grateful to have incredible partners like the Field Museum to support the growth of our young artists. Their collaboration with Marwen made this unique class such a success!

Curious to see what new artwork was inspired by Norm? Join us at the Marwen Spring + Lab Exhibition on May 30, 4-7pm! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-marwen-lab-2026-exhibition-tickets-1986483911855

04/15/2026

☀️ It's time to plan your Marwen Summer! ☀️

Over 2 dozen new and exciting classes await returning 6-12 grade Marwen young artists, including digital photography, ceramics, painting, fashion, 3d printing, animation, fashion, and more! Classes are always free, but they are first-come, first-served, so register for your top choices today!

https://www.marwen.org/registration/

04/14/2026

Marwen Summer is going to be packed with over 2 dozen new and exciting FREE art courses for Chicago 6-12th graders! If you're new to Marwen, save your young artist's spot by attending one of our New Student Open House events on either May 2 or May 16. You'll tour our 8 state-of-the-art studios, meet the staff, and be able to sign up for an incredible summer of art, opportunity, and community!

To RSVP for a Marwen Summer New Student Open House slot, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-student-open-house-registration-summer-2026-tickets-1981962834190

Address

833 N Orleans Street
Chicago, IL
60610

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13129442418

Website

http://www.marwen.org/

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