Blank Spaces, a local non-profit organization, is dedicated to investing in the youth of the Amarillo area by providing greater access to the Creative Arts. The organization offers young artists opportunities to install large-scale murals, curate and manage a local art gallery, and lead efforts in civic beautification in Amarillo and surrounding communities.
Interns in the Blank Spaces program work alongside professional artists to develop all aspects of mural painting, including collaborating with clients and property owners, generating ideas, designing concepts, selecting materials, applying techniques, managing budgets, and preserving the artwork. They learn to work with other artists, neighborhood residents, and children from diverse schools and cultural backgrounds, fostering a sense of community and enhancing their skills in real-world artistic endeavors.
In addition to mural painting, interns curate and operate the Blank Spaces Gallery. Every three months, they rotate, install, and host a gallery opening featuring student artwork from across the Texas Panhandle. The gallery attracts an average of 800 visitors each month, both locally and nationwide.
Through this comprehensive program, young artists gain the skills, leadership, and training support necessary to pursue a wide range of creative-based employment and post-secondary educational opportunities. Blank Spaces emphasizes the essential role of the Arts in developing more analytical, well-balanced, and socially aware young individuals. By investing in area students, Blank Spaces is cultivating the ecology and importance of the Arts in the Texas Panhandle.