Making Space: Designing Youth Futures is organized by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University and curated by Katie Greulich, Ph.D., former Assistant Curator of Academic Collaborations, in collaboration with Youth Arts Alliance, Ypsilanti; Our House, Washtenaw County; Western Career Prep, Jackson County; and Arts & Scraps, Detroit. Support for this exhibition is provided by the Elizabeth Halsted endowment fund.
About the Exhibition
In the spring of 2021, youth artists connected to two Michigan organizations—Our House, a non-profit helping young people ages 14–25 successfully transition from foster care to adulthood in Washtenaw County and Western Career Prep High School, a non-traditional education site in Jackson—participated in Youth Arts Alliance (YAA) “Maker Space” workshops. In these workshops, the artists were able to design and envision their spaces: domestic, occupational, recreational, and fantasy spaces through the creation of 3-dimensional models. The process of making a space of their own allowed the artists to explore their personal aesthetics, desires, and creativity while utilizing unconventional and recycled materials. Making Space: Designing Youth Futures showcases the resulting models, and reflects the interests, passions, future visions, and identities of these young people.