Teaching as Practice: Planning Your Art + Education Career
Professional Development Workshop for Saturday Program Instructors (Past & Present)
The Saturday Program is excited to invite you to an upcoming professional development workshop designed for Saturday Program instructors—both past and present:
Saturday, May 16 | 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM
The Cooper Union, Civic Projects Lab
41 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10008
(Light breakfast and lunch will be provided)
This half-day gathering is a space to reflect on your journey as an artist-educator while also looking ahead to what’s next in your practice and career. Through conversation, reflection, and practical tools, we’ll explore how to translate your teaching experience into meaningful professional opportunities, navigate the broader arts and education landscape, and strengthen your identity as both artist and educator—grounding teaching as an extension of creative practice.
The session will be led by artist and educator Shervone Neckles-Ortiz, whose work bridges visual art, cultural memory, and arts education. Shervone brings deep experience supporting artists and educators across the field and is also a proud alum of the Saturday Program.
This is an optional opportunity open to recent alumni, current instructors, and graduating instructors. Space is limited (5–20 participants), so we encourage you to sign up if you’re interested.
Please feel free to share this message with fellow alumni instructors who may benefit from participating.
We hope you’ll consider joining us for what promises to be a meaningful and energizing day in community.
To RSVP, scroll to the second slide in this post and scan the QR code.
The Saturday Program Year-End Show 2026
Celebrate a year of creativity with our talented high school artists!
Sat, Mar 28 | 1–5 PM
Writing Showcase: 3 PM in the Great Hall, Foundation Building
Exhibition Highlights:
3rd Floor: Architecture, Drawing, Graphic Design, Media Production, Painting, Sculpture
4th Floor: Portfolio Prep (Mar 28–Apr 3)
Come see amazing work, meet the artists, and experience their creativity in action!
#SaturdayProgram #StudentArt #YearEndShow #CooperUnion #HighSchoolArt
Join us March 7 at 3:00 PM (Room 315, 7 East 7th Street) for our final Creative Careers Presentation of the year featuring Kira Marie Britt — a multidisciplinary NYC-based artist, educator, and community organizer.
From award-winning filmmaking (Evolution, PBS) to scenic design and community arts programming, Kira’s dynamic practice shows how creative careers can span disciplines.
Open to all Cooper Union ID holders
Don’t miss the final Creative Careers talk of the season!
The Saturday Program — Second Annual Augusta Savage Day 2026
Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 10:00 AM–12:00 PM
Join us for the Second Annual Augusta Savage Day, a powerful morning honoring the life and legacy of Harlem Renaissance sculptor, educator, activist, and Cooper Union alumna Augusta Savage.
A groundbreaking artist and champion for equity in the arts, Savage founded the Savage Studio of Arts and Crafts in Harlem, mentoring generations of Black artists. Her commitment to access, excellence, and opportunity continues to inspire The Saturday Program today.
Celebrate her legacy. Reflect. Create. Be inspired.
This Saturday, February 21— Meet Lobsang!
Join us for the first Spring Creative Careers Presentation on February 21 at 3:00 PM in Room 315 (7 East 7th Street) featuring Lobsang Tsewang, a Tibetan-American artist and curator whose work is informed by storytelling, identity, and contemporary Tibetan experiences. Currently serving as exhibitions manager at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Tsewang brings over a decade of experience bridging creative practice, exhibition-making, and community engagement.
This talk, open to all Cooper Union ID holders, will take place this Saturday, October 18th, from 3:00–4:30 PM in Room 315 of the Foundation Building.
Come learn how art, curation, and public service can intersect in meaningful and impactful ways. Don’t miss this inspiring kickoff to our Spring Creative Careers series — join us!
Spring 2026 Registration Is Now Open!
The Saturday Program is excited to announce that registration for Spring 2026 is officially live! Now in its 57th year, our program continues to offer inspiring, hands-on art courses for high school students ready to create, explore, and grow.
For juniors & seniors:
Our Portfolio Prep track offers personalized mentorship, skill-building, and support in developing strong artwork for college applications.
Returning students:
If you were accepted in Fall 2025 or earlier, you're already eligible — just complete the registration form and select “returning student.”
Ready to join us?
Click the link in our bio to register.
Applications are due Friday, January 9.
Classes begin Saturday, January 24.
We can’t wait to welcome you back for another creative season!
Creative Careers Presentation: Nathanael Desulme
Saturday, Nov 15 | 3:00–4:30 PM
Room 315, Foundation Building
Join us for an inspiring talk with Nathanael Desulme, Digital Media Production Coordinator at CUNY Queens College and Head of Audience Engagement for Lincoln Motion Pictures.
Hear how he blends storytelling, cinematography, and digital media to create award-winning work featured in Forbes and screened at film festivals.
Open to all Saturday Program Participants and Cooper Union ID holders—come get inspired, ask questions, and explore new creative career paths!
Remember: The Saturday Program's annual Costume Contest will be taking place this Saturday, November 1st!
Enter at the Hub upon arrival for a chance to win an artsy prize! We can't wait to see what you come up with! 🎃
We are so excited to welcome artist and designer Makee to campus this Saturday, October 18th for a presentation on her work and career with our high school students!
Makee is a Chinese-born cartoonist and designer based in New York. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in 2019 with a BFA in Illustration. A passionate advocate for hand-drawn art, Makee expresses her voice through bold ink strokes and fluid watercolors. Her work often explores themes of everyday life, identity, and belonging — all infused with warmth, humor, and humanity.
After graduation, she spent five years working as a full-time print designer before leaving her office job to launch her own small handcraft business. Her new graphic novel, Call Me Emma, released this May, tells the story of her family’s immigration journey from China to New York.
When she’s not drawing, Makee can often be found reading or crocheting.
This talk, open to all Cooper Union ID holders, will take place this, Saturday, October 18th, from 3:00–4:30 PM in Room 315 of the Foundation Building.
Too many wonderful pieces were made in the Portfolio Prep classes this year to capture here! 🦋 Apply for Fall 2025 by this Friday (September 12th) at the link in our bio!
In our Portfolio Prep classes, juniors and seniors interested in pursuing art in college create pieces for their applications, attend artist talks and studio visits, and gain valuable insight from their instructors. Apply now at the link in our bio!
