The City of Albuquerque’s Department of Arts and Culture recently revealed the participants of the 2023 Mayor’s Creative Youth Groups. This is a program designed to nurture arts-based leadership among high school juniors, seniors and recent graduates.
“In Albuquerque, we believe in nurturing the creativity and incredible potential of our young people,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a June 24 news release posted on the City of Albuquerque website.
According to the release, 26 people will take part in a six-week, paid summer internship that offers valuable career exploration experiences. Keller and the Department of Arts and Culture are proud to support the initiative for the fourth straight year.
Those participating include Cookie Paquet, Adeline Arenas, Lex Kelly, Emily Baron, Briah Brown, Ludo Wilson, Mircalla Rowendolas, Alana Chimenti, Sarita Gonzalez, Ian Yazzie, Sergio Murillo, Kevin Guardado, Alex Schlee, Saja Yaegar, Avrey Walstrom, Melody Ortiz, Anaya Gonzalez, Gerald Peralta, Lilith Ma’ayan, Maxfield Elliott, Joseph Garcia, Annika Santor, Adelio Lechuga Kanapilly, Janae Heffenger, Eliseo Kerkmans-Webb and Henry Deacon.
“Our Creative Youth Corps get valuable hands-on experience in our local creative economy, as well as training and skills that will stay with them no matter what their bright futures hold,” Keller said.
In this program each participant will be allocated a unique host site and receive guidance from mentors or mentor teams to further develop their creative abilities. Projects assigned to them encompass a wide range of activities like designing and producing custom T-shirts, supporting summer programs for young children, painting murals, producing and editing videos and organizing various festivals and events across the city.
Public Academy for Performing Arts, Manzano High School, Atrisco Heritage High School, Digital Art and Technology Academy, Amy Biehl High School, New Mexico School for the Arts, Bosque Prep, Albuquerque Academy, Cibola High School, Eldorado High School and ACE Leadership High School are among this year's 11 participating high schools, according to the city's press release.
“We take pride in investing time, expertise and opportunities in local creative youth,” Dr. Shelle Sanchez, director of arts & culture, said in the release. “The program equips participants with professional development and valuable skills to bolster their resumes and references as they embark on their career paths."
The program builds skills that can benefit students no matter what career they choose, she said.
"While the goal is for the participants to pursue careers in arts, culture or public service, the program also teaches them to incorporate creativity into various professional settings and projects," Sanchez said.