Young Artists Retreat

Nominate outstanding high school seniors to learn more about careers in the arts!

A group of young artists working on creating a print with a press

Photo: Susan McSpadden, Johnson County Community College Photographer

This fall, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at Johnson County Community College will host a FREE Young Artists Retreat for high school seniors and juniors across the country, on Friday, October 24, 2025. Those in Johnson County, KS and the Kansas City Metro region have the option to attend in person.

The retreat will feature local artists and arts professionals speaking about careers in the arts and sharing hands-on learning opportunities to build artistic skills. This year, artist and educator Harold Smith will also provide a professional development session for educators attending the retreat in person.

The program runs from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. CST. For those attending in person, lunch will be provided, and optional post-retreat activities will be available from 2-3 p.m. Space is limited for in-person participation, so students must be nominated to attend (self-nominations are allowed).

For the first time, the program will be livestreamed for those wishing to see the artists’ presentations but unable to attend in person. The retreat will also be available for teachers to livestream for their classes.

Fill out the form below to nominate exceptional art students to participate in this exciting free program or to access the livestream link.

Nomination deadline: Sunday, September 28, 2025, for in-person attendance, nomination for livestreaming link accepted through Oct. 22, 2025.

The Nerman Museum will select and confirm participating students during the week of September 29, 2025.

Questions? Reach out to the Nerman Museum at info@nermanmuseum.org.

Nominate a student or register for livestreaming link

We are also inviting organizations to host a vendor table at this event.

Key dates for vendor interest

  • Interest form deadline: Friday, October 17, 2025.
  • Confirmations will be announced via email by Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Fill out vendor interest form

Questions about this vendor opportunity? Reach out to the Nerman Museum at info@nermanmuseum.org.

This event is sponsored by The Vilcek Foundation and TeenTix KC.