"Urbano makes people think about their lives, and what kind of impact they want to have. What we’re doing really conveys this message. As an artist, that’s what you want to do: make people see, and reflect, and become more aware."
— Urbano teen artist, 2012
The Urbano Project empowers urban teens and professional artists to effect social change through participatory works of contemporary art and performance. Our work is based in collaboration, risk-taking, and border crossing, the essential foundations of creative thinking. We challenge teen artists to carry what they learn at Urbano beyond our space, thinking deeply about the boundaries of art and lived experience, and the ways in which artistic intervention can spark and reshape public discourse.
Urbano invites professional artists to propose contemporary arts and performance projects for our studio in response to Urbano's yearly Project Theme. In 2012-2013 Urbano's Project Theme is Narratives of Exclusion: Racial and Cultural Boundaries in the Urban Landscape. Selected artists work in partnership with teens from Boston's public highschools in our studio to conceptualize and create large-scale artworks for the public.
Urbano's Artists' Projects are inspired by popular culture, contemporary events and ideas, local and international history, and our teens' life experience. We believe in mixing media, making use of the tools of many arts disciplines to communicate complex ideas. Projects in Urbano's Visual Art and Performance tracks incorporate digital media, public art, installation, and audience participation.
Urbano's Young Curators also respond to the semester theme, working with our exhibitions staff to produce exhibitions and events in Urbano's gallery and other venues around Boston and beyond. The Curators explore Boston's contemporary art scene, inviting professional artists and performers to exhibit their work in Urbano's gallery alongside works by teen students.
Urbano's students
- Come from all over Boston, and sometimes beyond
- Attend a Boston-area public high school
- Are ready to try new things and experiment with new artistic media
- Are excited to work collaboratively with their peers and adult mentors
- Are curious about the role of art in society, and passionate about social change
Urbano's instructors
- Are practicing professional artists, designers, and performers
- Show their art, perform, and work in arts fields in Boston and beyond
- Are affiliated with local arts colleges, galleries, and performance spaces
- Are passionate about working collaboratively with young people and connecting with community audiences
