Founded in 2015, Teen Art Salon provides young people open-door, free-of-charge art instruction and materials to establish and advance individual studio practices.
TAS is committed to valuing young people as cultural producers, whose early careers deserve to be cultivated, archived, and promoted — with the objective to overcome socioeconomic and industry barriers.
We’ve partnered with
Alumni Schools
For all students, TAS:
Instills resilience, a crucial component of professional art making, with uninterrupted workmaking sessions
Provides studio space for on large-scale and “messy” work, opening up possibilities for artistic growth and experimentation
Secures scholarship awards and opportunities to monetize their work.
Advises on portfolio development and building a diverse body of work over multiple years
Counsels on college applications, competitions, internships, and job searches
Fosters a strong artistic community between artists across age and experience level
Prioritizes individualized instruction
Our Founder
Isabella Bustamante has established and advanced the art practices of hundreds of aspiring artists for the past since launching TAS in 2015. Currently, Isabella develops curriculum and arts programming for MoMA PS1, Queens Public Library, and The Drawing Center and has partnered with Ace Hotel, Starwood Retail Properties, and Blick Art Materials. Her students have received full scholarships to schools like The Cooper Union and Rhode Island School of Design. Isabella has coached three National YoungArts Foundation award winners and served as a juror for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Prior to founding TAS, Isabella received an MA in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and worked for architect David Adjaye. Born and raised as a proud Queens resident, Isabella lives between New York City and New Orleans, and is currently developing a curatorial and research-based project that historicizes the contributions of adolescents to visual culture.
