Guttenberg Arts Gallery has announced the upcoming launch of GüttenHigh, a new program that provides free art classes to 10 creatively oriented local middle and high school students per semester.
 
Beginning in January, GüttenHigh will offer courses in drawing, printmaking, ceramics, and sculpture on a weekly basis taught by bilingual instructors. There will be two 2.5-hour sessions per week for 15 weeks, splitting the students into groups of five to provide a safe and inspiring environment. Students will be selected with the assistance of staff and administrators at Anna L. Klein School and North Bergen High School.
 
Instructors come from the rich and diverse pool of local artists that the gallery has been working with for the past six years since their founding here in Guttenberg. By providing local artists with a teaching wage of $40 per hour, the program not only allows them to share their knowledge of various crafts with budding artists, but to earn a supplementary income to support their own artistic endeavors.
 
The program is funded by the generous donations of individuals who support the arts in our community. Every $60 or higher donor received a limited edition woodcut by 2020 resident artist Lucas Almeida and studio director Russ Spitkovsky titled “No Reason.”
 
While the first semester of GüttenHigh has been successfully funded, more donations are needed to make this an ongoing program. To donate, visit guttenbergarts.org/getinvolved, where you can become a member of Guttenberg Arts, a patron, or select a specific program to support.