Bibi Cutilletta had never been to the Museum of Contemporary Art until her father brought her there last winter. But this year she spends at least two Fridays a month at the museum thanks to a teen drop-in program that started in September.
There are many local youth like Cutilletta who have been heading to the museum during the past year since it started offering free admission to teens. Since then, teen attendance has more than doubled and the museum has reworked its programming, offering more opportunities for teens to get involved.
“With that, we saw a huge demand,” programming director Sarah Baie said.
The drop-in sessions are from 5 to 7 p.m. every other Friday night on the third floor of the museum, 1485 Delgany St. During each session, students can work with a local artist on a project. The artist dictates which art supplies will be on hand and what students can work on, but he or she gives them the freedom to work on their own or ask for help.
Students can also drop in for free hot chocolate and to meet up with friends.
“It’s also a place for like-minded kids to hang out,” program producer Molly Nuanes said.
Cutilletta, a junior at Denver East High School, is a teen ambassador for the drop-in program and helps the artists set up before the sessions and with whatever is needed during the session.
“I really like working with different artists all the time, getting to learn what they do and using that in my art,” she said.
Cherry Creek High School senior Diego Fajardo is also a teen ambassador for the drop-in program and said it’s been good to be surrounded by other art lovers in a stress-free environment.
“I like being around art and art people,” he said. “It’s cool to see different creative arts processes because I haven’t been able to be around a lot of art people.”
Both Cutilletta and Fajardo found out about the drop-in program and decided to be leaders after applying for the museum’s flagship teen program, . The lab is an internship program for teens that started last year and gives them an opportunity to put together art shows that are offered on the third floor.
Cutilletta and Fajardo did not make it into the program; only 12 students are offered spots each year.
The name comes from the idea of learning by failure. The students are urged to try things. If it doesn’t work, there is no penalty.
“We want to use failure as a way for students to take creative risks and think outside the box,” said Ama Mills-Robertson, manager of programming and fictions at MCA Denver.
Students can be in the Failure Lab for two years. They come from schools all around the metro area and put on five shows throughout the school year. Students are in charge of finding artwork and working with artists for each show.
“I think teamwork really works, and we all have really great ideas,” said Sophia Rizzolo, a senior at Denver School for International Studies. “It’s a safe place to throw ideas out there that may or may not work, and we’re really supportive of each other.”
The most recent show that ended Dec. 3 was all teen art submitted by high school students. There were more than 300 pieces from students from 20 schools.
Mills-Robertson said that the plan was always to expand from the Failure Lab. She regularly sees between 20 and 30 students at the drop-in nights, and there are more and more applications coming in for the lab.
“We’re not trying to produce the next big artist — we don’t want all kids to be museum employees,” Mills-Robertson said. “We just want a program where they can take creative risk.”
