For many teenagers, finding a place where creativity matters more than perfection can be difficult. Josephine Community Library is working to change that through its Teen Bad Artists Club, a summer program that has quietly become more than just an arts-and-crafts activity. Instead, it has evolved into a welcoming space where young people can experiment, make mistakes, meet new friends and discover that creativity often begins by letting go of the fear of getting something wrong.
As the 2026 Summer Reading Program enters its final weeks, the library is inviting teens between the ages of 13 and 17 to participate in the remaining Teen Bad Artists Club sessions at its Grants Pass and Illinois Valley branches. The program continues on July 30 and August 6 in Grants Pass, followed by its final Illinois Valley session on August 7.
Unlike traditional art classes that often emphasize technique or finished projects, Teen Bad Artists Club is built around a different philosophy. Participants are encouraged to explore, experiment and simply enjoy creating without worrying about whether their artwork is perfect. The focus remains on imagination, self-expression and having fun in an environment designed to be welcoming for beginners and experienced artists alike.
Each gathering combines hands-on creative activities with music, snacks, giveaways and opportunities for teenagers from throughout the community to connect with one another. The result is an atmosphere where friendships develop naturally while participants build confidence through artistic exploration.
An important part of the program’s success comes from the teenagers who help lead it. Teen volunteers and library interns take an active role in planning each session, creating sample artwork, selecting projects and helping develop promotional materials and custom stickers used throughout the series. Those responsibilities give participating youth an opportunity to gain leadership experience while learning practical workplace and organizational skills that extend well beyond the art table.
The remaining schedule offers activities designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests. On Thursday, July 30, the Grants Pass branch will host a Teen LEGO Challenge from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Participants will receive a surprise building theme and compete in a timed challenge using LEGO bricks to create original designs. Finished creations will remain on display inside the library, allowing patrons to vote for their favorites before first, second and third place awards are presented.
The program concludes with Miniature Art sessions, giving participants an opportunity to create original artwork on small canvases before taking home miniature easels to display their finished pieces. The Grants Pass session will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, while the Illinois Valley branch will host its final event from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, August 7.
Teenagers may attend as many or as few sessions as they choose, making the program accessible for families balancing summer schedules and other activities.
The Teen Bad Artists Club has become one example of how public libraries continue expanding their role beyond lending books. Across Oregon, libraries increasingly serve as community gathering places where residents of every age can learn new skills, participate in educational programming and strengthen local connections. For younger residents especially, these programs provide safe, supervised environments during the summer months while encouraging lifelong learning outside the classroom.
That mission has particular significance in Josephine County, where the community has invested heavily in rebuilding and expanding library services over the past decade. Today’s library system offers a growing calendar of educational workshops, technology resources, children’s programming and teen activities that serve residents throughout both urban and rural communities.
Compared with many Oregon counties where specialized youth programming may be concentrated in larger metropolitan libraries, Josephine County has continued emphasizing equal access for residents in both Grants Pass and the Illinois Valley. Offering Teen Bad Artists Club in multiple branches helps ensure that teenagers living outside the county’s population center have opportunities to participate without traveling long distances.
The 2026 Teen Bad Artists Club series is supported through funding provided by the Josephine County Cultural Coalition. It is also part of the library’s Summer Reading Program, themed Plant a Seed, Read, which continues to encourage reading, creativity and community engagement throughout the season.
As summer begins winding down, programs such as Teen Bad Artists Club demonstrate that a library can be much more than a place to borrow books. For many Oregon families, it remains one of the few community spaces where learning, creativity and friendship are available free of charge, providing young people with opportunities to grow both artistically and personally while strengthening the communities they call home.