MCG Youth admits students of any race, sex, national origin, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Fall 2026

MCG Youth has been dedicated to inspiring creativity, learning, and personal growth through the arts for almost 60 years.

By providing opportunities to hone their creative skills alongside teaching artists, we are focused on developing personal, artistic, future-ready, and civically minded high school students.

We are committed to creating a community that fosters a sense of belonging, interconnectedness, and hope.

ENROLLMENT

Apprenticeship Training Program(ATP) enrollment will be held exclusively via our website.

Enrollment will open on Sept. 8th at 6:00 p.m.*
Spaces fill quickly, so sign-up early!
Courses are offered at no cost to students.
Admission is on first-come, first-served basis.
Waitlists will be maintained.

*Jazz Enrollment will remain open now through September 19th.

Not sure which class to try? Visit our Open Studios on Mondays and Fridays and see what medium fits your creative flow!

TRANSPORTATION

There will be a van or bus at most PPS high schools going to MCG Youth.

For all other students, transit tickets will be provided or MCG staff will arrange for pick-up.

Public transit tickets will be provided to get home.

Questions?

Contact- Bryce Hemington
Email- bhemington@manchesterbidwell.org

Phone- 412-322-1773 Ext. 112

Fax- 412-321-2120

Click Here

Registration

Fall Course Listing

Visual Storytelling

Tuesday Class: Sept 15 – November 17, 9 class sessions; (No class 11/3)

Tell your stories through drawings, collage, and other mixed media. Explore how artists communicate ideas without relying on lots of text while experimenting with composition, sequencing, and narrative. Finish the class by creating your own handmade zine or artist book using simple bookbinding techniques.

Stitch It! Intro to Sewing

Wednesday Class: September 16- November 18

9 class sessions; (No class 11/11)

Learn the foundations of hand and machine sewing while creating projects you can wear, decorate with, or gift. Practice essential techniques through patches, appliqué, accessories, and personalized fabric art while building confidence with sewing tools and materials.

Print Lab: Screen Printing

Thursday Class: September 17 – November 19

10 class sessions

Learn the process of screen printing using water-based inks to create original artwork. Design images by hand or digitally, then print them onto paper and fabric as you explore layering, color, and composition. Discover how artists and designers use screen printing to make everything from posters to T-shirts.

Get Animated

Tuesday Class: Sept 15 – November 17, 9 class sessions; (No class 11/3)

Bring your ideas to life through the exciting world of 2D animation! Learn the fundamentals of frame-by-frame animation in Adobe Animate. Explore the puppet tool in Adobe After Effects and develop original characters that have expressive movement.

Digital Painting 101

Wednesday Class: September 16- November 18

9 class sessions; (No class 11/11)

Master the basics of digital painting while creating expressive self-portraits that reflect your personality and style. Learn how to use Adobe Photoshop’s brush tool, layers, color blending, and texture techniques with brush tools to transform your drawings into polished digital artwork.

Laser Jewelry

Thursday Class: September 17 – November 19

10 class sessions

Design custom earrings, pendants, rings, and more using vectors in Adobe Illustrator. Transform your digital designs into wearable art by cutting acrylic and wood with our laser cutter. Learn the basics of digital fabrication while creating one-of-a-kind accessories.

Handmade Hustle

Tuesday Class: Sept 15 – November 17, 9 class sessions; (No class 11/3)

Prepare for our annual Holiday Sale by creating a collection of functional pottery ready for customers. Build production skills while developing a cohesive body of work and learning the fundamentals of pricing, presentation, merchandising, and entrepreneurship. Leave with handmade pottery and valuable experience sharing your work with the community.

Inked in Clay

Wednesday Class: September 16- November 18

9 class sessions; (No class 11/11)

Give your pottery a tattoo! Combine ceramics with printmaking by carving your own linoleum stamps and using silkscreens to apply bold ceramic imagery to hand-built and wheel-thrown forms. Explore pattern, texture, and layered design while creating one-of-a-kind pottery.

Face Value

Thursday Class: September 17 – November 19

10 class sessions

Bring faces to life in clay by sculpting a portrait of yourself, someone you know, or a favorite fictional character. Learn proportion, facial anatomy, and expressive sculpting techniques while using slabs, molds, and hand-building methods to create ceramic busts full of personality.

Portrait Maxing

Tuesday Class: Sept 15 – November 17, 9 class sessions; (No class 11/3)

You are the subject in this creative digital photography course! Explore both traditional self-portraits and conceptual images that express your identity, interests, and experiences. Learn lighting, composition, and portrait photography in our studio, then borrow a mirrorless camera to continue creating original self-portraits beyond the classroom.

It’s a Colorful World

Wednesday Class: September 16- November 18

9 class sessions; (No class 11/11)

Learn the fundamentals of DSLR photography while exploring aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and white balance. Capture bold, vibrant images, then enhance them in Adobe Photoshop using both realistic and creative editing techniques.

Black & White Photo

Thursday Class: September 17 – November 19

10 class sessions

Discover photography from its roots to the darkroom. Begin by creating photograms before learning to shoot black-and-white film with an SLR camera. Develop your negatives and produce your own darkroom prints while gaining an appreciation for traditional photographic processes.

Tell Your Story

Two-Day Class held Tuesdays and Thursdays

Tuesday Class: September 16- November 18

Thursday Class: September 18 – November 20

No Programming: 11/3

Mandatory Performances:

10/20 - Masterclass with Benny Benack III at MCG

11/19 Family Night at MCG 5:30pm

Registration open - Now through 9/15

Calling ALL instrumentalists! Jazz is more than music. Jazz is a way of thinking about your environment and how you interact with it. Through the study of the legacy of jazz composers from Pittsburgh, Mark Jackovic will lead high school students in creating original compositions combining melody, harmony, and rhythm.