Free Museum-Wide Cultural Event for Teens Returns to The Met on Oct. 28

Image courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Event Date: Friday, October 28, 2016, 5–8 pm
Event Location: The Met Fifth Avenue

Thousands of teens will come together at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday, October 28, from 5 to 8 p.m., for Teens Take The Met!, an evening when young people can explore their creativity and make discoveries through their experience with art. Now in its third year, Teens Take The Met! spans the entire museum and introduces teens to the programs of over 50 cultural organizations from across the five boroughs. The evening will feature collaborative installations, music, and art-making activities, as well as dance, poetry, and youth performances. The event is free for teens ages 13–18 with a middle- or high-school ID. Teens can RSVP before the event online and enter the event through a fast-track entrance. MetFridays programming, including Museum Highlights Tours and Drop-in Drawing, will be available for adults accompanying their teens to The Met.

The event is made possible by Bonnie J. Sacerdote and the Gray Foundation.

WNYC is a media partner of Teens Take The Met!

“We look forward to Teens Take The Met! with great anticipation,” commented Sandra Jackson-Dumont, The Met’s Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chairman of Education. “Young people take part in a range of creative activities, explore the galleries, and learn from each other and professionals alike! The Met couldn’t be happier to host Teens Take The Met!, an event where teens can discover more about themselves and the world around them through art, music, and their peers.”

Throughout the evening, partnering organizations—including NYC Department of Youth & Community Development, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, El Museo del Barrio, Brooklyn Museum, Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Noguchi Museum, and many more—will facilitate engaging, interactive experiences for teens by connecting their projects with the Museum’s collection of over 5,000 years of art from around the world. For a full list of partners please see The Met website.

Programming for Teens Take The Met! includes:
 

• Performances by the teen band FOAM, spoken-word poets from Urban Word NYC, and more, emceed by the hosts of NIGHTCAP, which airs on Manhattan Neighborhood Network
• Living sculpture dance workshops taught by Martha Graham Dance Company’s Teens@Graham with choreography inspired by European sculptures
• Digital music workshops facilitated by Building Beats responding to the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
• A collaboration between Materials for the Arts (MFTA), The Met, and contemporary artist Jean Shin to engage teens in an art installation where they can experiment with analog media such as slides and lightboxes from The Met’s image library (formerly known as the Photograph and Slide Library)
• Pop-up art-making activities in the galleries for modern and contemporary art with teens from Lincoln Center Education

Free snacks and giveaways will also be provided. Assistive listening devices, sighted guides, large print schedules, and a designated quiet space will also be available.

Teens can pick up special-event wristbands at two Museum entrances: at Fifth Avenue and 81st Street or at Fifth Avenue and 83rd Street. Teens are able to RSVP online for fast-track entry. The wristbands will provide access to teen-only activities throughout the building.

Adults accompanying their teens to The Met can enjoy the Museum’s MetFridays programming, including Museum Highlights Tours and Drop-In Drawing—both free with Museum admission. The Great Hall Balcony Bar will have live music, cocktails, and bar snacks available for purchase.

Exhibitions on view that evening include The Roof Garden Commission: Cornelia Parker, Transitional Object (PsychoBarn) (through October 31, weather permitting), Jerusalem 1000–1400: Every People Under Heaven (through January 8, 2017), Valentin de Boulogne: Beyond Caravaggio (through January 16, 2017), and Max Beckmann in New York (through February 20, 2017).

More information on Teens Take The Met! programming, as well as a full list of participating partners, is available on The Met website. The event is also featured on the Museum’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts using the hashtag #MetTeens.