Teens

We work with teens to foster leadership through creativity, taking a cue from Warhol’s art and practice.

A female African American student holds a microphone stand in one hand and places her other on her hip as she performs against a background illuminated with pink and purple light. — Photo by Sean Carroll

A young woman in a yellow cardigan wears green gloves and a mask as she prepares a screen for printing. — Photo by Sean Carroll

A teen band is playing on stage in front of an audience of mostly teens in The Warhol entrance space. — Photo by Sean Carroll

A young man with red hair wearing a red, white, and blue beanie, a black sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a paint-splattered apron rolls ink onto a carved linoleum block for printing. — Photo by Sean Carroll

Three individuals examine sketches of an exaggerated female figure on a table in The Factory. — Photo by Sean Carroll

School of Drag

An image of a person smiling and holding a cigarette, screen-printed over yellow, brown, purple, and blue brushstrokes. — Andy Warhol, *Ladies and Gentlemen (Helen/Harry Morales)*, ca. 1975
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. © The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
1998.1.2655

This free seven-week program transforms The Factory, our underground studio, into a space where youth can learn about the history, culture, and practice of drag and gender-bending performance. School of Drag meets weekly on Friday evenings from 5:30–7:30 p.m. from July 12 through August 16, 2019, and is open to youth ages 13–19 who are interested in using performance as a way to explore identity and express themselves. We will provide all materials and supplies, as well as snacks and transportation support. The workshop series will culminate in a showcase with youth and adult performers on Friday, August 23, 2019.

The application deadline for 2019 has passed.

For more information, please contact teens@warhol.org.

School of Drag is generously supported by American Eagle Outfitters Foundation.

AEO Foundation logo

Youth Invasion

Teens take over The Warhol! Planned by and for teens, Youth Invasion is an annual spring celebration that invites young artists, performers, and designers to transform the entire museum with their creative energy. Get involved with planning as part of the Youth Arts Council, or apply to be a performer and showcase your talents.

The performer application deadline for 2020 has passed.

For more information, please contact teens@warhol.org.

A man in a gray hoodie and baseball cap and a man in a red t shirt sing into microphones as a crowd of teens in the Andy Warhol Museum entrance space cheer behind them. — Photo by Sean Carroll

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.

The application deadline for the 2019-2020 school year has passed.

For more information, please contact teens@warhol.org.

Five teenagers standing in a space with white walls. There are three girls on the left side and two boys on the right. The second girl from the left is making the peace sign with both of her hands. Behind the teenagers are five artworks that were made by teenagers. — Photo by Sean Carroll

Youth Open Studio

Youth Open Studio is a weekly drop-in printmaking workshop for young people of all experience levels. Learn photographic silkscreen printing for the first time, or improve your skills and make your own projects to keep. This free program is presented in collaboration with Artists Image Resource (AIR), an artist-run printmaking facility on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side. Youth Open Studio at AIR is open Wednesdays from 4–8 p.m., for teens ages 13–18. Please check the calendar for the current Youth Open Studio schedule.

A studio full of young people working on various phases of the printing process. A young woman types on a laptop, a woman arranges papers in a scanner, and several teens are gathered around counters and tables in the room talking. — Photo by Sean Carroll

LGBTQ+ Youth Prom

A large group of teenagers are in the lobby of The Andy Warhol Museum dancing. They are blurry due to their movement. There is pink lighting throughout the image. An image of Marilyn Monroe with Andy Warhol superimposed within it is in the background and to the left there is a photograph of Andy Warhol laying on a red couch on the wall. There are also two small video screens in the background hanging on the wall. — Photo by Sean Carroll

The Warhol hosts an annual LGBTQ+ Youth Prom, one of the only LGBTQ+ youth proms in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Prom is often considered a rite of passage and creates memories that last a lifetime. The Warhol’s Youth Prom offers a safe, gender-inclusive space where LGBTQ+ young people can celebrate with dinner, dancing, and artmaking. Prom is open to young people ages 13–20, and it is planned by a youth committee.

LGBTQ+ Youth Prom 2020 will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2020.

It’s a great event because I think you get to express who you are, and don’t have to be judged by other people who won’t understand.

LGBTQ+ Youth Prom attendee, 2017

Student Assistant Program

Teens are not just an audience for The Warhol—they are an essential part of our staff. Student Assistants are youth apprentices who are paid to work in the museum’s education and outreach programs, including Youth Open Studio at Artists Image Resource. They gain real world skills, engage with a creative community, and learn about new artistic processes and approaches.

Three students, one girl and two boys, stand in front of a wall of various artwork facing the camera. The girl on the left has short, curly brown hair and glasses. She is wearing a purple tye-dyed shirt. The boy in the middle has light brown hair and glasses. He is wearing a navy blue Carrick Hockey CCM jacket with his name Weaver and number 39 on it. The boy on the right is wearing a black knit cap and black hoodie. He is also wearing a gold necklace. He has his arms folded in front of him. — 2017 Student Assistants Alyza Foster, Nate Weaver, and Jamar Davenport.

Meet our Current Student Assistants

Alyza Foster is an 11th grade visual art student at CAPA high school. She has worked on several programs at The Warhol, including Youth Invasion and LGBTQ+ Prom. Alyza is the president of the CAPA Feminist Student Union and participates in the National Honor Society. She enjoys helping others.

Jamar Davenport is an 11th grade student at Perry High School. Jamar enjoys exercise, modeling, making art, and fashion design. Jamar is a member of The Andy Warhol Museum’s Youth Arts Council and is currently trying to hone his Photoshop skills. Jamar’s favorite medium is ink and silkscreen printing on fabric.

Nate Weaver is a freshman at CAPA who has been attending Youth Open Studio since the 6th grade. Nate is a young entrepreneur whose recent “Supmeme” t-shirts sold 200 units. Nate plays hockey for Carrick and enjoys ravioli.