By Izzy Mirabelli-Montan
Calling all teen artists – Come out, come out, wherever you are!
As the date of my graduation draws nearer, I’m becoming increasingly aware of the great transition period that looms ahead for the class of 2014. This transition, I feel, would be not so shocking if there weren’t so many established barriers between our “teen” selves and our future “adult” selves. I came up with the idea of a primarily teen-run art show for teens because I wanted to create some venue to attempt to bridge the illusory gap between childhood and adulthood.
“Ready or Not (Here We Come)” is a juried art exhibition, organized and run by Teenagers, for Teenagers. This exhibit will be shown in April at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts’ (SCA). Unlike many “teen” art shows, this show is not an after-thought or a show that is part of another “adult” show or smaller gallery – this is THE show. We are aiming to articulate and legitimize a resounding collective “voice” of youth with a powerful spread of original artistic perspectives.
The core prompt of the show is as follows:
Using any media you can dream up, visually express your personal philosophy – a tangible articulation of the rules and ideals by which you live your life.
I’m hoping to receive a variety of unique and diverse artistic responses to this topic, to create a thorough depiction of what it means to be a teenager.
I created this show with a passion for art history, the awareness of a need for future leaders, and the understanding of the incredible power and potential of today’s youth to take on the future with creativity and innovation. I’m very excitedly awaiting all of the wonderful work I know will be put forth by my peers, as I am certain it will demonstrate the outstanding ingenuity that I know many teens possess.
The show will open on Thursday, April 12th and run until Sunday, May 4th, with a celebratory reception on Saturday, April 19th.
For more details about the show, see our prospectus at our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/teenartshow