PORT TOWNSEND — The Bunker, a free weekly art program for teens, has returned to Northwind Art School, and invites sixth- through 12th-graders to come work on a variety of projects with a team of volunteer teaching artists.
Bunker sessions will go from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the art school at Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way. As they did when the program began in 2018, professional artists volunteer to host the sessions. Parents and guardians must fill out the permission form, which is found on Northwind Art’s Bunker information page, www.north windart.org/pages/bunker, or go to www.northwindart.org, click on Take a Class, then Youth and The Bunker.
Plans are made for the next three sessions. This Friday, the teaching artists will host a pumpkin painting workshop in Northwind’s Building 324 classroom at Fort Worden; on Oct. 18, the Bunker will be all about mask making and Halloween makeup in Building 324. Oct. 25 will be an open art studio in Northwind’s Building 306 classroom, with teaching artists on hand to support participating teens. This open studio, to be held once a month, is a chance to bring in artworks in progress, or work on independent projects alongside their peers. It’s an opportunity for collaboration and feedback.
The Bunker “is near to my heart, as an artist and teacher,” said Michele Soderstrom, who has facilitated many Friday sessions — in addition to her job teaching art at Port Townsend High School.
“We paused Bunker in 2020 and were able to start it up again in May of 2023 with the support of local artists including Julie Read, who poured her heart and soul into supporting the Bunker kids, weekly.”
This program is a safe and fun place for teens to be artists, Soderstrom added. They get to explore and develop new skills, with the support of professional artists at Northwind Art’s studios.
Soderstrom also works with other local artists including Port Townsend’s Margie McDonald to plan Bunker projects. The two are part of PT Artscape, the nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting professional artists with local school kids. PT Artscape, along with community members who’ve donated to the Bunker, provides snacks and art supplies for the teens. More information about the organization is found at PTArtscape.com.
Those with questions about the Bunker can also contact Northwind Art Education Director Kate Lovejoy at education@northwindart.org.
