Steam Exchange provides free, safe, structured art and STEAM classes for Smoketown youth ages 5-18. Over the years, StEx has taught classes in screen printing, bookbinding, painting, fashion design, stop motion, dance and more.
Our community screen printing shop is open to the public, and is a great way for people who are not residents of Smoketown to get involved.
Our Programs
Youth Art & STEAM Classes
We have free after school classes for youth who live in the Smoketown Neighborhood. Our programs and content are designed in collaboration with the community. Our teacher to student ratios are 1:5. Our program is open to students grades 1-12. We teach classes in a variety of media from screen printing to dance!
Summer Camps
Summer camps are a big deal at Steam Exchange. Every summer we host/support 6 weeks of free summer camps for our youth. Camp opportunities include week-long camps with Jefferson Memorial Forest, Girl Scouts, Trager Family JCC, Piomingo as well as art and STEAM camps at Steam Exchange.
Community Screen Printing
Join us every Monday night during the school year for our community print shop, open studio! Come with a design or an idea and we will teach you how to go through the entire screen printing process from making the screen to printing. The workshop and studio space is free, you just pay for material cost.
Youth Internships
Our paid internships provide an opportunity for additional responsibility at the Steam Exchange. High School youth hone their screen printing skills, assist in teaching classes, develop skills as community arts leaders, and help maintain the Steam Exchange building.
Public Art
Public art projects are designed collaboratively with neighborhood residents, and are created by Steam Exchange youth. To date we have completed four murals, one large mosaic piece, and several large scale screen printing installations.
Visiting Artists
We have hosted several local visiting artists as well as artists from around the country. We try to utilize visiting artists as a way to bring new media and techniques to the Smoketown community. Our visiting artists come from diverse backgrounds and are a crucial part of our programming.
What people are saying
“I used to go to other community centers, but it wasn’t like this. Here at Steam Exchange we are like a family.”
Parrys Jewell – Youth Intern
