The Teen Leadership Council is a group of New York City-based teens that fosters a fun and safe space for teens to express creative ideas with the Studio Museum. Council members assist with planning and facilitating the Museum’s free programs for teens, including Art Looks and Studio Works, and collaborate with other teen organizations for special programs.
Through visits to museums, talks with arts professionals, and exchanges with their peers, the Teen Leadership Council members nurture creativity and ambition in developing the next generation of cultural programmers. This conversation included Waleey, Elisha, Neichel, Emerald, and Jossie, and was moderated by Ginny Huo and transcribed by Jossie Rivera.
Waleey: My name is Waleey, and I am in Teen Leadership Council with The Studio Museum in Harlem. I came to the Studio Museum to explore because I never really imagined a place like this could exist. I never thought that music, art, and drawing would ever be in one place. So, when I got here, I said I was going to explore and expand on myself.
Elisha: I’m Elisha, and I recently moved to New York City. I was kind of overwhelmed with the art of the city in a bad way because there are many prestigious, fancy museums. But when I heard about the Studio Museum, I thought it was really interesting and innovative because it is accessible and representative. I thought it would be a really good way to get involved with the art in New York City and learn more about museums and their history. I also realized I don’t have much time anymore to create my own art, so this is a good way to discover different creative outlets. I just want to learn.
Neichel: My name is Neichel, and I’m from the Bronx. I feel like New York City is a very artful city. But the art of New York isn’t really in the museums; it is in the streets and with the people. I feel like this program is a good way to show people you can be artful without having to work in museums. I feel like the art world doesn’t showcase as much as it should, and in school curricula, going to a museum is treated more like a reward than something you deserve. I feel like this is just a good way to bring art to my city and to get people more involved.
Emerald: My name is Emerald, and I’m from Queens. I feel like we categorize art as drawing, but I feel like art is whatever you make it. Art is what you create and how you feel about things, and I feel like sometimes art can be how you feel. People create their emotions, and art can be finding yourself.
Elisha: I also thought this program was really cool because we are designing programs with complete freedom in order to engage teens. I think art is often seen as either you make it, or you see it, but this is a way to get involved, to learn, to collaborate, and to be with other teens who share interests with you and who also want to get involved. I think public programs can be really powerful, and it’s cool to be able to design them and make a difference.
Ginny: So, what are your main interests in joining the program? You all come with such different backgrounds and interests. Can you talk about what those are for you?
Neichel: I don’t have any particular interests because I like to do a little bit of everything. I have doodles all over my notebooks, and I get in trouble at school for it, but it’s okay. I take pictures any time that I can, like if I’m going out with my friends or if I’m staying at home. Whenever I think about the future, I wish there were multiples of me, so I could do everything. I just want to do so many things, like own different businesses. I think it’s important to express yourself, but I am not one to talk about emotions, so I find it weird to do that. I think this program is very powerful because I am giving other teens something that can benefit them.
Waleey: My interest is expanding myself. I would like to draw, make art, take videos, and make music. I want to be everywhere, but not to be popular. I just want to do something instead of staying home all day and doing nothing.
Elisha: Similar to you, last year, I didn’t have much going on. I didn’t have much school work, and I had a load of free time, so I really developed my art. But I’m a perfectionist, so I used to criticize everything. I used to draw faces, animals, and other realistic things a lot, but I didn’t like them because they weren’t realistic. But now, I can’t remember the last time I drew a face, because I realized I didn’t enjoy it. Instead, I actually enjoy doing abstract things, like drawing with shapes and colors and experimentation instead of just copying a picture. Recently I have been trying to make art that is unique and make it something that expresses my emotions as a way to just release what I am feeling. I didn’t use to consider random paint strokes on a page art, but now I just feel like anything you make intentionally, even if you don’t think you are making art, is being creative.
Waleey: I also think that I’m risking myself for something that I love instead of staying home.
