This summer marks the fifth annual Teens, Inspired exhibition at the NCMA. For eight months two high school students from our Teen Arts Council, Jennifer Fulton and Ariel Mirett, have gone behind the scenes to market, jury, curate, and prepare the exhibition. Here they reflect on the experience.
Teens are on a journey to discover truth and meaning while being influenced by a variety of forces. Museums can inspire us to learn about ourselves through art.
The NCMA asked teens throughout the state to express themselves using their own interpretations of the Museum’s collection. As high school interns, we collaborated with Museum staff to select 28 two- and three-dimensional works and four videos for this exhibition, from more than 100 submissions. Using sculpture, animation, pencil, paint, and other media, students explored themes such as interconnectivity, technology, and generational perceptions that connect their work to the work that inspired it. Whether focused on the hold that technology has over society or the simplicity of a child’s excitement on a winter day, these works express what is on the minds of teens.
See the exhibition yourself through October 19, 2014, in the education wing of East Building. Visit our blog to see all of the submissions, receive updates for next year’s competition, and discover new ways the Museum inspires teens.
This project was funded with support from the Mebane Foundation and the Wells Fargo Foundation.