youth programs

young writers conference

The Young Writers’ Conference is offered through an expanded cooperative partnership with the St. Paul School District. The Conference is an opportunity for schools to inspire some of their best student writers by bringing them to the University of Minnesota campus, fostering interaction with other student writers, and encouraging critical response to a variety of creative stimuli at the Weisman Art Museum.

In spring 2007, sixty students and their accompanying teachers were invited to participate in a cross-disciplinary writing experience at the museum. Over a period of three days, students and teachers from this year’s writing model classrooms viewed, learned, and wrote about the exhibit, Bob Dylan’s American Journey 1956-1966. This multimedia exhibition brought together music, film, lyric sheets, letters, album covers, musical instruments, photography, and other artifacts to explore Dylan’s artistic development and his ability to mirror and influence the day’s volatile social and cultural changes.

The young writers combed this exhibit, as well as the museum’s permanent collection. During the conference students had an opportunity to work in small writing groups facilitated by U of M pre-service teachers, Center for Writing consultants, and MWP TCs. The conference culminated with a Celebration Day where students shared their writings after a bookmaking session, and the publication of writing in the wind: student work inspired by the Weisman Art Museum including the traveling exhibit on Bob Dylan.

gopher writing camp

The Gopher Writing Camp is currently not running, but we hope to bring it back soon. Go here to see the audiovisual compositions that students in the 2006 Gopher Writing Camp created while visiting the Weisman Art Museum.