WAM Teen Council

WAM Teen Council: Engaging the teen community

Members of the WAM Teen Council. caption

To develop art programming for teens we went to a reliable source: actual teenagers! The result is a new WAM Teen Council that wasted no time getting to work brainstorming creative ideas for attracting Worcester-area teens to the Worcester Art Museum. Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the WAM Teen Council consists of a dozen tenth to twelfth graders from Worcester schools chosen to establish a group with a variety of skills, interests, experiences, and backgrounds with a shared passion for the arts and dedication to community building. The application and selection process took place in early 2021. “I enjoyed getting to know the Teen Council through their interviews and at meetings on Zoom and at WAM,” says Aileen Novick, Manager of Public and Education Programs and Council comentor. “It’s fun to show these interested students how a museum works and the people who do the work.” For a Council member, there are hands-on opportunities to develop leadership, interpersonal, and professional skills as they work on developing and delivering these projects, explains Elizabeth Buck, Manager of Studio Class Programs and Council comentor. “The teens collaborate with WAM staff, Members, docents, and community volunteers to develop original public programs and events to engage other teens.” “I wanted to be on the Council because I love art museums and interacting in community spaces where the purpose is to enjoy it,” says Elie, a high school junior and Council member. “When a museum is an inviting place and teens are encouraged to be there, they return for more. I am happy to be part of a team making WAM more accessible and pleasant for that demographic.” This group embraces their mission with passion, ingenuity, and a resolute purpose. “They take this seriously,” says Elizabeth. “These teens are asked to serve a oneyear term and meet once a month, either in person or via Zoom. Members are encouraged to continue their conversations after leaving the Council and offer new programming ideas.” “The best part of being on the WAM Teen Council is the collaboration between diverse individuals,” says Rose, a high school senior. “We always manage to have incredibly rich conversations full of vibrant ideas. The Council is a wonderfully intimate community that promotes both creativity and imagination.” Zara, a fellow Council member and high school junior, agrees. “I also enjoy how we build upon one another’s ideas and that WAM staff members ask for our input on a potential project or programming idea.” So far, the Council’s focus is on creating new interactive Art Cart opportunities for the Museum’s galleries, organizing recurring teen night open-studio activities, and curating a teen exhibition/auction in spring 2022. “I'm excited about the teen exhibit,” Elie says. “We want to encourage teens unfamiliar with WAM to submit their artwork, have it on display, and bring friends and family to see their work. It’s a real opportunity for teens who may never have considered their art being on view in a museum.” “It’s great to have the Council share ideas for new programs at WAM,” says Aileen. “I’m thrilled to see the teens develop a new Art Cart to engage the public. Having Council members at the Art Carts also can help involve children coming to WAM, since kids like interacting with teens. The Council will bring a lot of new energy to the Museum.”

Their commitment to achieving these goals is inspiring. There’s a Vision Team to assure programming meets the Council’s mission and to work on outreach; an Action Team to organize and run programs; and a Communications Team to work on marketing, graphic design, and community visibility. “Despite the challenges of the last year due to COVID-19, or perhaps due to these challenges, the Council members are ready, excited to try new things, and make their mark on the Museum,” observes Elizabeth. “We were pleased to learn that making deeper connections with the Worcester community was a selfinitiated goal among the Council members. These are talented artists passionate about what the arts can do for individuals and their communities.”

“Art is most powerful when it unites a group of individuals to form a community,” Rose emphasizes, “and I believe the Teen Council came about in that way. Art will always be an integral part of any society.”

Do you know a teen interested in creating WAM programming? We’d love to meet them! Email teens@worcesterart.org to start the process of getting involved in the WAM Teen Council.