Youth Arts CouncilArtist Steven Montinar Leads Teens in a Collaborative Poetry Workshop

A man with glasses, baseball hat, and a hoodie stands looking off into the distance. — Pittsburgh-based artist Steven Montinar. Image courtesy of the artist

The Warhol’s Youth Arts Council (YAC) offers high school students from around Pittsburgh the chance to go behind the scenes in the museum and learn from working artists and professionals. The 2020–2021 YAC students have been meeting virtually and voted on local artists they wanted to connect with. Steven Montinar, an artist whose work explores everyday oppression of Black individuals and celebrates the contributions of Black society, was one of the most popular choices. On January 21, 2021, Steven showed YAC his work and the process behind it before leading the group in a collaborative poetry-writing exercise and performance. This video is a reaction to Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem “The Hill We Climb,” which had been debuted only one day earlier.

In the video that follows, Steven leads the group in a writing workshop and the YAC performs its collaborative poem titled “Let every step make with a different choice, no matter who we are there is a voice.”

About Youth Arts Council

Youth Arts Council is a yearlong leadership program that invites a small team of high school students from across Pittsburgh to go behind the scenes, collaborate with museum staff and artists, create art, and develop public programs and events for other teens. Youth Arts Council participants receive stipends, gain professional experience working in a museum, and learn new skills and techniques.

About the Learning and Public Engagement Team

The Warhol’s Learning and Public Engagement team strives to engage audiences from different walks of life with relevant, accessible opportunities for learning, creative expression, skill-building, and connection. Whether at the museum, in the community, or online, our goal is to leave our audiences feeling inspired, empowered, and equipped with the skills they need to thrive in a changing world. To learn more, visit warhol.org.