Metropolitan Museum Partners with 55
Community Organizations for October 16
Teens Take the Met! Cultural Open House

The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be transformed into a dynamic cultural open house for teens on Friday, October 16, 5:00-8:00 p.m., during Teens Take the Met!—an innovative Museum-wide event  developed in partnership with more than 55 cultural and youth organizations from New York’s five boroughs. The program encourages teens to sample diverse activities that are available to them across the City at cultural institutions large and small. The evening is free for all teens (age 13 or older) with a middle- or high-school ID, and features art making, music, performance, gallery activities, films, a dance party, and more.

The event is made possible by Bonnie J. Sacerdote. 

WNYC is a media partner of Teens Take the Met!

Inspired by the Metropolitan’s unique and diverse collections on view in the galleries around them, as well as their ongoing work with teen audiences, the partner organizations will present different interactive experiences, often led by their own young interns, members, volunteers, or staff. The schedule for the evening includes zine-making, live performances, teen-led gallery experiences, digital music-making, and drama and dance workshops among many other projects.  A highlight of the programming—and the culmination of a month-long collaboration involving the Met, Lincoln Center Education, and renowned visual artist Fred Wilson—will be a performance by teens of their own spoken-word poetry, inspired by representations of Africans in art through time. Teens also will receive giveaways and information about teen activities throughout New York City. (The list of collaborating organizations is attached.) Sign language interpretation, assistive listening devices, sighted guides, large print and braille information, and a designated quiet space will be available, as will free snacks and a photo booth. 

Teens will pick up their special-event wristbands at either of the Museum’s Fifth Avenue entrances—at 81st Street or 82nd Street. The wristbands will provide youth access to teen-only activities throughout the building. The event will unfold throughout the galleries, and into a teen-only dance party in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, where DJs will rock the crowd with music, while live projections of audience-created posts on Instagram and Twitter will cover the walls.

       

“A year has elapsed since our inaugural Teens Take the Met! In that time, we have been both excited and gratified by the feedback we have received from teens, parents, teachers, and our incredible partners,” commented Sandra Jackson-Dumont, the Metropolitan Museum’s Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chairman of Education. “This program addresses the growing need for safe and creatively generative spaces for youth to gather and be themselves.  It also shows teens that the Met and the cultural institutions in their communities are dynamic and relevant resources for them. Large-scale projects such as this one are possible only because of the generous support and collaborative spirit of our community partners hailing from all parts of New York City and our own teen advisors. We thank all of them for their generous participation. Together, we are making an impact on the lives of area teens. These efforts complement the Museum’s already-extensive programs for young people ages 11 to 18, such as paid high-school internships, free art-making workshops, week-long creative intensives, career labs, and year-round gallery activities.”

       

The hashtag for the event is #metteens.

Additional offerings at the Metropolitan Museum for teens are described on the Museum’s website. 

Teens Take the Met! is a twice-yearly event hosted by the Metropolitan Museum. Since its launch in fall 2014, it has reached nearly 5,000 teens.