Weekly Art History and Design Critique Club for Teens

This weekly club is for teens who love art and design and want to talk about it in depth. Each meeting we look closely at a handful of artworks, posters, logos or buildings and ask big questions: what is this piece doing, how does it work, and why does it still matter?

Members learn the vocabulary of visual analysis, including composition, colour, contrast, hierarchy, scale and symbolism, and use it to describe what they see with precision. Over time they build an eye for design that helps with their own art, school projects and portfolios.

The club runs on a rotating four-week cycle. We explore a major art movement and its key works, then study how classic ideas reappear in modern graphic design, then hold a structured critique session using a clear framework, and finally a member-led discussion where a teen chooses the artworks and guides the conversation. Leading a discussion builds real leadership and communication skills.

This is a discussion club with no required projects or reading assignments. Images do most of the work, key terms appear visually and are explained aloud, and members can contribute in whatever way is comfortable. Critique is always respectful: we focus on the work, back up opinions with evidence and welcome different interpretations.

Each month brings new movements, designers and themes, so members can join any week and keep discovering.

How classes work

Each 50-minute meeting begins with a quick look-and-notice warm-up, followed by a short presentation of the day's artworks and an open discussion. On critique and member-led weeks, teens take turns guiding the conversation with support from the teacher.

What we'll cover

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  Week 1: Art Movement Spotlight – Explore a major art movement through its key works and discuss what made it new in its time.

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  Week 2: From Masterpiece to Modern Design – Trace how classic composition and colour ideas reappear in posters, logos and modern graphic design.

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  Week 3: Structured Design Critique – Use a clear describe-analyse-interpret-judge framework to critique artworks and designs respectfully.

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  Week 4: Member-Led Discussion – A member chooses the artworks and leads the group discussion with teacher support.

No art history background needed. Learners should enjoy art or design and be comfortable sharing opinions in a group discussion.