This summer, students in MCG Youth teaching artist Ben Pyles's Don't Stop the Motion class discovered how to turn everyday objects into movie stars. Using clay, paper, toys, and handcrafted sets, students learned the fundamentals of stop motion animation, including storyboarding, character design, filming techniques, and digital editing. Working collaboratively in teams, they transformed their ideas into original animated stories, building valuable media production and creative...

This summer, four outstanding MCG Youth students traveled to the renowned Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Montana, for an intensive five-day ceramics immersion led by teaching artists Matt Zorn and Zo Zielinski. Now in its sixth year, the Archie Bray trip provides students with a unique opportunity to develop their skills at one of the nation’s most respected centers for ceramic arts. During their residency, students spent time creating independent work with specialized...

On April 21, students at Propel Montour took a hands-on journey into the world of natural building materials through an engaging earth plaster workshop. This experience introduced students to the fundamentals of earth-based construction by mixing clay and sand to create a functional plaster surface—connecting creativity with material science in a tangible way. Inspired by the tradition of fresco painting, students worked with clay-based plaster rather than conventional lime plaster. While the...