Community Building Through Artistic Engagement: An ethnographic study on artistic youth development programs and their implementation in Huntington, West Virginia.
Document Type
Panel Presentation
Start Date
21-4-2017 1:30 PM
End Date
21-4-2017 2:45 PM
Keywords
music, art, youth
Biography
Jake Farley is an undergraduate student of Anthropology at Marshall University. He will earn his Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Marshall University in 2017. His interests of research vary, but mainly focus on the structure of sub-cultures, including but not limited to youth groups in lower to middle class areas in the United States. His interest stems from his experience in what would be considered an “underground” music scene and the environment that develops around it, from D.I.Y. ethics to helping organize communal “punk houses”. Through his research he aspires to bridge a gap between misrepresented youth cultures and cultural norms for the betterment of his community and beyond.
Major
Anthropology
Advisor for this project
Marty Laubach
Abstract
This paper addresses a decline in youth focused programs in Huntington, West Virginia and proposes a solution that unites youth of Huntington with the community through artistic involvement. This research is inspired by experiences I have had with the local music and art scene and a desire to create something that is intentional in bringing out the potential of youth who would otherwise not have access to music and art classes. Through the interviews conducted with local artists and community members, observations of local events, survey data collected, and notes on my experience in the organization of a non-profit music and arts venue space, based on my research I can confidently present my proposal for a program that seeks to bring together the talents of local artists and collaborate with the area’s youth in workshop based programs to provide them with hands on experience in artistic fields. Those involved will be able to grow and develop their own identity for themselves and their art and build stronger community bonds. The goal is to bring together the community and the arts together in a way that strengthens the community, benefits the youth and provides them with new skills, ultimately giving them confidence in themselves and their art so that they can go on to pursue careers in those fields.
Community Building Through Artistic Engagement: An ethnographic study on artistic youth development programs and their implementation in Huntington, West Virginia.
This paper addresses a decline in youth focused programs in Huntington, West Virginia and proposes a solution that unites youth of Huntington with the community through artistic involvement. This research is inspired by experiences I have had with the local music and art scene and a desire to create something that is intentional in bringing out the potential of youth who would otherwise not have access to music and art classes. Through the interviews conducted with local artists and community members, observations of local events, survey data collected, and notes on my experience in the organization of a non-profit music and arts venue space, based on my research I can confidently present my proposal for a program that seeks to bring together the talents of local artists and collaborate with the area’s youth in workshop based programs to provide them with hands on experience in artistic fields. Those involved will be able to grow and develop their own identity for themselves and their art and build stronger community bonds. The goal is to bring together the community and the arts together in a way that strengthens the community, benefits the youth and provides them with new skills, ultimately giving them confidence in themselves and their art so that they can go on to pursue careers in those fields.
