Teen Studio: Head Outside!

Teen Studio: Head Outside! invites teens to explore the Hirshhorn’s newly renovated Sculpture Garden and create a palm-sized clay head inspired by Yoshitomo Nara’s installation *Sentinels of Stillness*. After learning about Nara’s enlarged sculptures, participants will return to the Hirshhorn Art School to make their own work with guest artist Kaila Garcia. All experience levels are welcome.

Teen Studio is part of a recurring Saturday series that combines gallery exploration with hands-on experimentation in painting, sculpture, printmaking, and other media. Each month features a new theme connected to artists whose work is on view at the Hirshhorn.

When: November 21, 2026.

Showtimes: 2:30–4:30 p.m.

Tickets: Free.

Ages: Teens ages 13–19. All skill levels, from beginners to experienced young artists, are welcome.

Activity: Participants will study Yoshitomo Nara’s *Sentinels of Stillness*, whose monumental sculptures are based on hand-molded clay heads originally small enough to fit in a palm. They will then sculpt their own clay heads in the Art School.

Guest Artist: Kaila Garcia is a Filipino American visual artist and art educator based in Washington, DC. Her sculptural portraiture explores identity, culture, and community, challenges conventional beauty standards, and encourages belonging, cultural pride, and self-definition. Her work has appeared at the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, and Femme Art Fair. She received a DC Arts and Humanities Fellowship Grant in 2025 and earned a magna cum laude BFA from the University of the District of Columbia after studying at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.

Registration: Drop-in participation is available for individual sessions. Teens may also register once for the entire school year, with that registration covering all sessions.

Venue: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Ave SW and 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20560.

Meeting Location: Hirshhorn Art School on the museum’s Lower Level.

Accessibility: Visitors who need services or accommodations, including ASL interpretation or live captioning, should contact HMSGeducation@si.edu. Requests are encouraged at least one to two weeks in advance.

Organizer: Hirshhorn Education.

Venue Phone: 202-633-1000.