by Jesse Hunt

Created on: June 18, 2008

To allow art to become something a teen is interested is a challenge. But the solution is easy to find. Teens are interested in making an identity for themselves. That is why myspace is such a successful enterprise. So rule number one of creating an art project for teens is to let it express each teens identity, making it a representation of them, and an opportunity to share that openly.

Teenagers are the future leaders of the world. It is a necessity to teach them to work as a team, to communicate there needs, and wants. Therefore I believe an effective art project allows teens to work on a common goal, either together or individually. A perfect example of this would be a mural project. To have the teens take responsibility to design, and implement a mural is a great success. Not alone it tells the youth we trust you to make your mark in appropriate ways. They would learn customer service skills, a new craft, as well as planning a large scale painting, and completing it as a team. As an adult in charge of such a program you would serve as an advisor, and sounding board. You must however allow the teens the freedom to make the project theirs whether we are talking a small project or large. Teens expect you to educate, and then allow them to choose and individualize how they were taught.

To bring fun into any occasion you must think of what constitutes fun for you. For some that means being challenged, for others that is to be given freedoms, and another may find play as fun. It is important to know this about others and take into account the teenager wants to feel important, needed, and excepted by others more than a mature adult. So allow opportunities for teens to feel challenged, to allow them freedoms to make mistakes, and freedom to express themselves, lastly allow them to play.

One project I could recommend which involves play is to bring a group of teens outside, and let them get messy. You would place a large canvas or paper on a grassy surface. You would then say different emotions and as you do the youth would express themselves using paint and paint brushes. The painting would end up looking similar to a Jackson Pollock. The youth would have worked together on a project, and would have learned a little more about themselves and how they express their emotions relative to the other teens. This is an example of how to make art a fun experience. I believe that is the key aim to make art an experience, something that the teenage will walk away and say that was fun, I want to do that again. Sometimes as educators or parents we get stuck trying to do what we have always done, and it turns out boring.

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