Income should not be a barrier to making art. To wit, Salt Lake City’s Bad Dog Rediscovers America makes the creative process accessible to a diverse cross-section of youth. The latest achievement: high-caliber comic art and digital photography from The Bad Dog Art Apprenticeship Program (AAP), taught by professional artists to 11 students age 15-20.

Beyond delving into the finer points of composition and lighting, apprentices learned to portray a sense of place, capturing familiar and oftenoverlooked images such as city lights, chamomile flowers or zebras at the Hogle Zoo. Comic art, typically not displayed at galleries, also adornsthe walls—frames from the playful, published comic book Scrapyard Detectives.

“Different than traditional education, these young people briefly experience an artist’s life, surprised by how much dedication is involved,” says Bad Dog Co-Director Victoria Lyons. However, students were not taught to eat other’s leftovers and spend frugally—the essence of being an artist.

Through the Eyes of Youth @ Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, 801-524-8200, Dec. 14-Feb. 5.