What is Teen Artes?
Teen Artes is PVA’s teen program that strives to teach high school students about creative career fields that allow them to develop and expand their skills and knowledge. This program provides opportunities to meet and learn from local artists and creative professionals in Santa Cruz County.
Teen Artes: Summer 2026
Are you a creative teen who wants to make a lasting impact through public art? Join us for an exciting summer program where you’ll:
- Collaborate with professional artists on a public art project seen by the community.
- Connect with other creative teens in a supportive space.
- Learn hands-on skills through engaging workshops.
- Gain experience in teamwork, creativity, and public art.
- Earn a stipend for your participation!
Don’t miss this chance to make your mark!
Teen Artes: Summer 2026
During the Summer 2025 Teen Artes session, participants worked with muralist Melissa Marzan to design and create a collaborative mural exploring storytelling and shared space. The project culminated in From Our Hands, For Our Home, the inaugural mural at the Porter Building. Now installed in the workshop room—home to classes, community gatherings, and Family Art Days—the mural reflects the creativity, collaboration, and welcoming spirit at the heart of Teen Artes. Made possible by our sponsors: Driscolls, D’La Colmena, Erik’s Deli, and Zibra.
Teen Artes:
Holiday Makers Series
This session of Teen Artes provided young artists with a dynamic and supportive environment to explore their creativity, develop new skills, and connect with the local arts community. Through hands-on workshops led by professional artists, participants engaged in various artistic processes, culminating in the opportunity to showcase and sell their work at Arte del Corazón’s Frida Por Vida market. The Winter Holiday Makers Series encouraged artistic growth, collaboration, and real-world experience in the creative field. We are proud of their dedication and look forward to seeing their continued artistic journey.
Teen Artes – Summer 2024
The Teen Artes Summer 2024 Session, led by teaching artist and muralist Nessa Ledesma and overseen by Program Coordinator Josefina Rocha, brought together 12 talented teens to create a vibrant mural at Callaghan Park. Titled Ventanas de Juventud: Past, Present, & Us, this mural represents the collective voices, experiences, and hopes of youth, celebrating their journey and honoring the layers of heritage and community they carry forward. Through this project, the teens gained hands-on experience in public art, collaboration, and the transformative power of storytelling through creative expression.
PRESS: https://pajaronian.com/photo-story-a-new-look/
Teen Artes: After School Program – Fall 2023-Spring 2024
The Teen Artes After School Program, which ran from Fall 2023 through Spring 2024, provided students with an enriching experience to explore a variety of artistic mediums under the guidance of skilled teaching artists. Led by Program Coordinator Josefina Rocha, who also taught Painting, students engaged in Figure Drawing with Lisa Lopez, Mixed Media & Collage with Katie Simpson, and Ceramics with Tracey Torres. Each medium allowed the teens to develop new skills and perspectives, fostering their creative growth. The program concluded with the Teen Artes Pop-Up Exhibition, showcasing the students’ work from throughout the year, alongside pieces by their teachers and past program participants.
Press: https://growingupsc.com/teen-artes-exhibit-showcases-local-talent/
Teen Artes – Summer 2023 Session
The first cohort of the Teen Artes program consisted of 11 students from local high schools including Pajaro Valley High School, Watsonville High School, and Aptos High School. We had the joy of having community muralist, Jaime Sánchez (@jaimesanchezpainting) as a facilitator to guide the teens in designing and creating a mural at Ramsay Park! For 10 weeks they explored their creative desires, learned new artistic methods and skills, designed their mural, presented their proposal to the City of Watsonville’s Parks and Rec Commission (got it approved!), and applied their new knowledge into the fabrication of a mural that proudly showcases their hopes and dreams for Watsonville. Their hard work will be celebrated with a Ribbon cutting celebration on Friday, October 6th at Ramsay Park.
The Pajaronian featured amazing articles on Teen Artes and their mural “The Bigger Picture” and interviewed some of the teen artists!
Check out the full articles here: https://pajaronian.com/new-mural-goes-up-in-ramsay-park/ & https://pajaronian.com/photo-new-mural-welcomed-at-ramsay-park/