Expanding the Walls

Making Connections Between Photography, History and Community

A free, eight-month, photography-based program for a select group of students enrolled in high school or GED program

About

Teen Programs at the Studio Museum provide a safe environment for teens to express themselves creatively. Programs offer students the opportunity to meet and converse with prominent visual artists, express their ideas in discussions, participate in tours and hands-on workshops, and develop important communication and critical thinking skills.

Expanding the Walls is a free program for teens enrolled in high school or GED program to learn about photography, history, and community. The program culminates with a celebration of the participants' work. Participants receive a $1000 stipend and a Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera. Meetings will take place in-person!

Expanding the Walls uses the Studio Museum’s James Van Der Zee Collection and Archive as the point of entry to share experiences and perspectives on community, identity, history, and culture. Over the course of 8 months each year, Studio Museum engages with participants in a regimen of field excursions, workshops with prominent visual artists, and the study of the fundamentals of photography.

Teens receive transportation fare to and from the Museum and a stipend upon their completion of the program. Additionally, each student is awarded a digital camera upon completion of the program, which culminates with an exhibition of student work for an entire exhibition season.

View Past Exhibitions

Apply

Applications are now closed for the next cycle of Expanding the Walls.

January 7 – July 31, 2025

Tuesdays 4:00 pm–6:30 pm and Saturday 10:00 am–3:00 pm

Beginning July 2025, the program will meet three times a week:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10:00 am—3:00 pm

FAQs

Friday, November 1, 2024 by 11:59 pm.

To participate in ETW you must be in high school or a GED equivalent program and have a valid employment certificate.

Explore the work of photographers such as James Van Der Zee and other important and contemporary artists making image-based work

Learn about the Studio Museum in Harlem

Engage with arts professionals like curators, educators, arts administrators, artists, designers, gallerists, and writers

Discover other NYC arts and cultural institutions and cross-collaborate with teens in other museum programs

Investigate topics related to photography, history and community

Train to make excellent photographs

Create an individual photography project

Curate an exhibition of photographs created during the program

No, it is not necessary that you have photography experience to participate in this program.

Program dates: January 7 – July 31, 2025

Meets every Tuesday 4–6:30pm and every Saturday 10-3pm

Starting in July program will meet three times a week:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10-3

The ETW program begins in the first week of January and runs through to the end of July. Participants meet every Tuesday (4pm–6:30pm) and Saturday (10am–3pm) from January to June. During the summer, the program meets Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (10am–3pm). All public-school holidays and breaks are observed by the program.

Expanding the Walls takes place at our satellite space in the Adam Clayton Powell State Building on 125th Street, as well as various sites around the city including other cultural institutions and museums!

Yes! While this is not a job or an internship, ETW participants receive a stipend for their participation at the program's completion. Participants must present valid working papers upon acceptance to the program. Individuals must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible to work in the United States without a visa to receive the stipend Please note, you will need to present valid working papers upon acceptance to the program.

Only individuals authorized to work for the Museum in the United States will be eligible to receive the stipend for their participation in the program.

If you have questions, please email [email protected]. Follow @StudioMuseum on Instagram for more program updates at the Studio Museum.