Leadership Programs
Teen leadership programs at MCA Denver are centered around creating meaningful experiences with contemporary art and artists.
These programs challenge teens by encouraging them to take creative risks and participate in contemporary dialogues. For teen programs at MCA Denver, this is defined as an embrace of creativity and the creative process, rather than the formal study or mastering of a classical art form. MCA Denver’s programs are not designed to produce expert painters or sculptors, but rather to understand and embrace the creative process, recognizing that creativity is a critical 21st Century skill across disciplines. By emphasizing creativity, we hope to help students gain the confidence for discovering the world both inside and outside the walls of the museum.
Offhand
Offhand is a program for alumni interns from MCA Denver’s Teen Leadership Programs and other teens interested in planning teen events.
Participants plan events and special projects, and occasionally partner with other organizations to paint murals, plan concerts, host film festivals, and much more! Offhand meets both in person and virtually. Ideation and planning for events happens online. As this group of teens is ever-changing, each group organizes a time that is convenient for all members.
Moxie Mag
MoxieMag is an online publication produced monthly by a cohort of teen interns who meet in-person on a weekly basis each semester.
Through individual endeavors and collaborative projects, every issue thematically brings attention to topical issues important to our high school team and their respective communities. Our interns experience field trips related to zine culture and online media, hear from guest speakers for critical feedback and technical demonstrations, and work with museum staff behind the scenes.
Failure Lab
Failure Lab is a yearlong internship that gives high school interns the opportunity to learn through failure, play, experimentation, and art creation.
The fall semester is dedicated to working alongside an artist in the Denver metro area to produce an exhibition of work inspired by the guest artist’s compositional knowledge and the teens’ collective vision. The spring semester revolves around planning, developing, and curating a teen art exhibition curated by the teens as they learn from museum staff in various departments.