Summer Teen Art Project 2025

Summer Teen Art Project (TAP)

Summer Teen Art Project (TAP) is the Missoula Art Museum’s dynamic arts and leadership program that empowers local teens through collaborative artmaking, environmental education, and community engagement.

Launched in 2021 with a focus on public art, Summer TAP has grown each year, transforming the urban landscape with bold, youth-driven artworks that highlight Montana’s natural and cultural history. Each summer, TAP brings together high school students from across the Missoula area to work closely with professional artists, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and museum educators.

The 2025 Summer TAP program, led by MAM’s Educator and Outreach Coordinator Janaína Vieira-Marques, was made possible through the continued support and dedication of Kay Grissom-Kiely, MAM’s Curator of Education. Their shared commitment to youth empowerment and interdisciplinary learning helped shape a program that not only cultivates artistic skills but also deepens students’ understanding of environmental and cultural resilience.

This year’s program culminated in the creation of a stunning 14' x 10' public mural celebrating Montana’s ecosystem heroes: bison, beavers, and prairie dogs. Under the artistic direction of Resident Artist Joanna LaPorte, 16 teen artists collaborated over several weeks to design and paint this vibrant mural, now installed in the Missoula Art Park adjacent to MAM.

Drawing inspiration from the work of MAM exhibiting artists Jason Elliott Clark (Algonquin descendant) and Stephen Hunt (Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Sioux, Pend d'Oreille, Chippewa Cree heritage), the project invited teens to explore the connections between ecology, Indigenous knowledge, and creative expression.

Through partnerships with wildlife biologists, ecologists, and Indigenous artists, students gained a deep understanding of the role’s keystone species play in maintaining healthy ecosystems—insights they brought to life through visual storytelling.

This year’s featured contributors included: 

Summer TAP 2025 is more than an art program—it’s a space where youth creativity and civic engagement flourish. By exploring the intersections of science, culture, and contemporary art, TAP artists contribute meaningful public works that reflect the values and stories of our community.

Major support for Summer TAP 2025 was provided by the Missoula Downtown Foundation, the Montana Arts Council, and Adventure Cycling Association. Special thanks to Front Street Pizza and Garage Tees for their generous in-kind contributions. 

Students Involved:

Art Statement

The 2025 Summer TAP mural is inspired by the work of Indigenous artists Jason Elliot Clark (Algonquin descendant) and Stephen Hunt (Blackfeet, Nez Perce, Sioux, Pen d’ Orielle and Chippewa Cree). Clark’s work tells the stories of keystone species through layered prints using stencils, illustration, and vivid colors. Hunt’s photography shares the intimate relationship between his culture and the natural world. The TAP mural is centered on three of Montana’s keystone species; the Bison, the Beaver, and the Prairie Dogs. Throughout the summer, we learned from various professionals about these species and their stories as well as the role they play in our greater Montana ecosystems. Each TAP artist chose a few species that are significant and live in relation to the keystone species, to celebrate in this artwork.

Through the use of painting, screen printing, photography, and beadwork, students designed sections of the mural and then worked collaboratively to bring them together in the overall design. The mural is divided into triangles, squares, and circles that create a “Morning Star” quilt pattern. This quilt pattern has a long history in Montana, dating back to the 1800’s when missionaries taught quilting to the Indigenous women on the Fort Peck Reservation. Incorporating some of their own traditional colors and geometric designs, these Indigenous Morning Star quilts replaced the historical Buffalo Robe and are gifted to people as a symbol of honor and celebration. The Morning Star pattern provided us with the opportunity to celebrate many of our native species, each being an essential component of the greater design. To quote Aristotle “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This project allowed us to learn about the many species that make Montana such a magical place. Their stories are part of our own stories and we have a responsibility to protect them, restore their environments, and honor them.