Teen Takeover: Balancing Rules and Joyful Chaos for Teens in Rural Art Museums

Authors:

• Gina Barnhill/Wren Thompson, Museology Graduate Program
• Chair: Lane Eagles
• Angelina Ong

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Abstract:

Teen Takeover is a project that aspired to cultivate teen belonging in a rural art museum. This project consisted of a space-making program, shifting the context of gallery visits, and observing the impacts of these practices on participating teens’ senses of belonging in the space. Art museums’ environments and unspoken rules can be alienating for visitors, especially teens. We wanted to challenge this by creating a participatory-designed program for teens within the Museum of Northwest Art. Our primary activity involved wall-drawing in a community art studio. Teens were invited in, provided food and music, and provided a prompt for the day’s activities. Our secondary activity involved bringing familiar, low-stakes games (such as hangman and pictionary) into the museum’s gallery spaces. These activities’ balance of structure and freedom allowed teens to bring themselves to the space without judgment. They flowed between activities and comfortably existing in the space. With no strict expectations on the product or understanding, the teens brought in references to their favorite media, jokes, and genuine effort to the program’s activities. This program showed promise in the concept of bringing in structure for the sake of direction rather than restriction and control. If art museums want to build a sense of connection for their teens in their spaces, they may want to question the behavioral expectations they are placing on teens, and consider how they can encourage teens to feel safe in bringing their whole messy selves to the space.

Poster:

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Project Deliverable:

Teen Takeover: Balancing Rules and Joyful Chaos for Teens in Rural Art Museums

Video Presentation