St. Louis ArtWorks is a program with a mission to broaden educational and career opportunities for young adults through paid apprenticeships and community collaborations for the visual, musical and theatrical arts. Their purpose is to teach youth skills that they might need in their art pathway. Tyson Johnson, 11, first heard about this organization through Jess Dewes, visual art teacher, in late August of 2014 after school in extended day. Johnson applied online, went through the interview process and was later accepted.

During the school year, St. Louis ArtWorks has a mural painting  group that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays, which Johnson is currently participating in. Over the summer, he worked with sculpting and last year he worked with digital production who met every Saturday.

“It gets me motivated because normally during the school year or during the summer, I’m not really doing anything, but when I started doing this program I’ve been drawing more, going out doing things, getting recommended to new things,” said Johnson.

The Missouri Nature Conservancy contacted ArtWorks telling them they wanted the participants to do a project for them. Johnson explained how this experience helped get his name out in the St. Louis community.

“This is important to me because if I wasn’t doing the things that I’m doing right now and going out to practice my art I would still be thinking about what I want to be when I get older. Right now I already know what I want to be, I want to be an animator/illustrator,”