Youth Programs

WMCAT provides high school students with an inspiring environment where each person can develop a lifelong advantage in critical thinking and problem-solving skills through art education.

In collaboration with Grand Rapids Public Schools, WMCAT serves over 350 high school students annually through programs in back and white photography, digital film, web design, fiber art, digital photography and fine art. (Read our class descriptions or download an application.)

All programs are implemented by professional working artists and maintain a maximum 8:1 student-teacher ratio.

Students are typically referred to WMCAT by teachers or other mentors. Students receive a grant to attend, but are required to maintain a good record of attendance and behavior at their home school.

Success Story

The Scholastic Art Awards is the largest student art competition in America. In its most recent contest, the regional site at Kendall College of Art and Design here in Grand Rapids hosted 43 schools from eleven counties. The photographs of seven WMCAT students were entered in our first attempt at this prestigious competition. These students were all what we would consider “at risk” of not graduating, coming from low-income households in Grand Rapids’ urban core. More than half were from non-traditional or single-parent homes. None had ever had a photography class before coming to WMCAT. Five were accepted into the competition. We had hoped for one.

All five won Gold Key awards, the highest achievement, and their work went on to be juried at the national level in New York City.

To accept their awards from the President of Kendall in front of 700 people was an honor none of these kids had ever come close to experiencing, and every one of them has now actively begun to look at going on to college after high school. Four of them have additionally had work selected (along with eleven others) to hang in the conference rooms of a downtown law firm and at Spectrum Health. The professionally framed pieces are as impressive as the work in any gallery. At least one of these kids has expressed the intent to become a professional photographer, and given the extraordinary vision she has developed in her time here at the Center, it will come as no surprise to any of the staff when she accomplishes that goal as well.