Teen Arts Council

Banner for the WheatonArts Teen Arts Council. The banner features a colorful background of red, blue, and green swooping streaks. A red and orange rectangle encases the words "WheatonArts Teen Arts Council" on a transparent white background so that the colorful background is still featured. "WheatonArts" is in black font. Below it are the words "Teen Arts" in all capital letters. The letters of "Teen" are white with a black streaky outline. The letters of "Arts" are also white, but have blue, red, yellow, and green streaky outlines. Below that is the word "Council" in all capital letters. The letters are white with a black streaky outline around each letter.

Teen Arts Council

WheatonArts’ Teen Arts Council empowers youth to explore their creativity, amplify their voices, and work collaboratively to shape a youth community within a dynamic, safe space where the passions and perspectives of local teens converge with the rich traditions of arts and humanities, thereby sparking an institutional dialogue about our present and future. The program helps students build transferable skills for college, employment, and beyond, with opportunities to explore the arts through creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork.

Students chosen to participate will dedicate time at WheatonArts once a month to work as a group to develop and execute an exciting project overseen by WheatonArts staff. During the orientation period, students will learn about WheatonArts and its mission to engage artists and audiences in an evolving exploration of creativity. Teen Arts Council students will work together to decide on a group project. Examples of group projects include (but are not limited to) creating a WheatonArts family guide, an art & historical exhibit on a specific topic of interest, a traveling educational program, an inclusive touch tour of the Museum, creation of zines on a particular topic, oral history program. There will also be time throughout the program to shadow and learn from WheatonArts staff.

Image of three people outside in the WheatonArts circular parking lot. Two people are bent over to use cans of spray chalk to create a colorful walkway across the pavement to where the center garden section of circle is. The third person towards the back of the image is standing and shaking a can of the spray. Each line of the walkway has a unique design.

Teen Arts Council Benefits:

  • Working and collaborating in a creative environment
  • Learning about various art forms, history, program planning, teamwork, and project execution through hands-on experience
  • Developing leadership skills
  • Networking for educational and professional connections 
  • Program certificate of completion for resumes
  • Complimentary Student Membership to WheatonArts
  • A WheatonArts graduation cord
  • Letters of recommendation from the program coordinators

Apply for a Teen Council Seat!

Are you a local high school student interested in joining the local creative community? Apply to WheatonArts’ Teen Arts Council and develop professional skills while working collaboratively with your peers and WheatonArts staff and artists. 

2024 Schedule:

  • Application Opens: November 1
  • Application Closes: December 1 by 11:59 p.m. EDT
  • Chosen Participants Notified: December 13
  • Orientation: January 2025 (date TBD)
  • Monthly Meetings: February through June. Dates are TBD, and June includes a wrap-up celebration.

Participation Requirements: 

  • Dedicate one day a month to be on the WheatonArts campus. Dates and times will be decided closer to the program date.
  • Students will be expected to work as a team with some individual project work.
  • Students will be responsible for their own transportation to and from WheatonArts.

Application Requirements:

  • At least one letter of recommendation is required to apply for a seat on the Teen Arts Council. This letter can come from a teacher, guidance counselor, coach, community leader, or volunteer coordinator. Please send the person writing your letter this link for them to complete. You may submit multiple letters, but please no more than three.
  • Application & Recommendation Letter Due Date: December 1, 2024 by 11:59 p.m.
Apply to the WheatonArts' Teen Arts Council Here

Questions? If you have questions about the application or need technical assistance, please email teenarts@wheatonarts.org

Logo for the "New Jersey Council for the Humanities". All of the words are on an angle and the words "New Jersey" and "Humanities" are in thick blue letters. "Humanities" is below the rest of the words and begins at the "J" of "New Jersey". "Council for the" is at the end of "Jersey" and "Council" is above the "for the". "Council for the" is in thin blue letters and all of the letters are capitalized throughout the logo.

WheatonArts’ Teen Arts Council is supported by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities with funding from the State of New Jersey and the National Endowment for the Humanities.