The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art gave 18 junior high and high school students overnight access to the museum to create their own exhibition in an event called “Teen Takeover”.
The young artists stayed at the museum for 12 hours from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on May 23rd to create and install an exhibit that can be viewed by the public from May 31 to June 5.
"The works range in content from works about art itself, relationships, nature and even some funny visual puns," said Andrew Henley, educational curator at the museum. "All the students were excited to spend the night at JCSM and really understood that we are their museum."
In the fall of 2015, the museum chose eight young members who showed a willingness to lead and be active in the museum to form the teen council.
The council gave the young artists an opportunity to develop skills, learn more about working towards future programs and running a museum.
“Art allows people to explore without judgment or expectations,” said Alexis Ayers, Teen Council member and artist, to Auburn University. “Students find comfort in art and through exploring different ways of making art, discovering new skills and gaining confidence. We want more people to know about the museum and its programs.”
Museum education curators and the museums teen council created Teen Takeover to broaden engagement with adolescents beyond the regular Summer Art Club series. It is supported in part by a charitable gift from J&M Bookstore.
“The goal for the program was to provide a unique opportunity for this group of students to immerse themselves completely in an overnight art studio experience focusing on their own personal creative expression,” said Marilyn Laufer, the director of the museum.
The gallery admission is free and open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 8 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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