Art, Dance, and Freedom: Sandra Jackson-Dumont on Teens Take The Met

High School Interns Ericka (left) and Ja'lon (right) sit down with Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chairman of Education (middle). Photo by Emily Chow Bluck

«Ever wondered who came up with Teens Take The Met, the event that invites thousands of teens to take over the Museum for a night? As high school interns at The Met, we were lucky enough to interview none other than Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chairman of Education and creator of Teens Take The Met, to find out more about how the Museum was able to attract such a large crowd on three occasions, going on a fourth.»

On October 16, 2015, The Met collaborated with community partners to host more than 40 teen-only activities throughout the Museum for Teens Take The Met. Here's what The Met looks like when 4,442 teens take over.

Ericka: What sparked the idea behind Teens Take The Met?

Sandra: When I came to work at The Met, the Museum had been offering a Teen Open House that 100 teens would come out for. Being new here, I felt we needed a major event in this city for young people to participate in that would be huge and fun, and that also would allow The Met to serve as a convener, bringing together our colleagues across cultural institutions to show young people the many different types of things they can participate in around the city. Usually those types of things are like fairs, where you walk around, pick up papers, and that's it. I thought, "What if we did something that was fun, engaging, interesting, safe, and about teens?"

The goal was to help young people really learn about what was happening here, connect with our colleagues that were also doing great youth work, and create a community-wide event that would allow young people to have a good time and would be explosive. In order to do that, we needed to have a lot of different people involved. I felt it should be kind of like a festival inside of the Museum, or like an indoor block party, if you will, for young people.

Ericka: What's your favorite part of the event?

Sandra: I love when young people are in the galleries by themselves, looking at art and having conversations. I like the Loud Library, because it's kind of oxymoronic, right? Libraries and museums are supposed to be so quiet, and then we turn that on its head. I have to say I also love the dance party because I love music and dancing. No one would ever imagine that happening at The Met.

Teens dancing at Teens Take The Met! Photo by Don Pollard

One of my other favorite parts is the line. I knew we had struck a chord that first time when I walked outside and there was already a line down all the way to the parking garage. It was 4 pm, and the doors wouldn't open until 5 pm. I thought, "Okay, we have arrived." There was this line all the way down to 79th Street, and it wrapped all the way back to the front of the Museum. I just remember saying, "Yes! Yes!"

Ericka: Do you think Teens Take The Met has something for every teen?

Sandra: I don't want to be so arrogant to say that Teens Take The Met has something for every person. I like to think that we have a range of options so people can find themselves in different things. I feel like we have to give young people a menu of opportunities that range from the quiet thing that's more contemplative to the thing that's crazy and chaotic, to art making, physical movement, and, of course, intellectually stimulating activities. That's why we work with all of our partners.

Ja'lon: In your eyes, is Teens Take The Met successful?

Sandra: I would say it's very successful, but I think not for the reasons most people would think I'd say it's successful. I think it's successful because young people are happy at Teens Take The Met. You guys walk through this city dealing with a lot of stuff. Whether it's at home or on the way home or to school, there's a lot happening in those transitory moments that can be threatening to your identity at a time when you are trying to figure out who you are in the world, who you are going to be, and how you want to live. Teens Take The Met is successful because young people are here, and here they are their best creative, thoughtful selves. They are really free in that moment—dancing, talking, or moving about—and that's what I think is powerful. The other reason that I think it's successful is because it makes the Museum relevant. It is the "you had to be there" moment of a lifetime. Young people are dancing out the door, laughing and talking about what they experienced.

I like to believe that Teens Take The Met is that little exposure, that little introduction to museums for many young people. A large percentage of them have never been to a museum, and Teens Take The Met is their first introduction. I also think that young people are introduced to other things, too. They're saying, "I went to Teens Take The Met, and I learned about the Studio Museum in Harlem," "I went to Teens Take The Met, and now I'm an intern at the Whitney Museum of American Art," or "I went to The Met, and now I work at Dreamyard in the South Bronx." Young people are connecting to things across the city, and, in some cases, young people who live in neighborhoods that are nowhere near here are finding out about stuff in their own community when they come here. That, to me, is successful.

But the biggest success is that young people are happy. Freedom—that's all I'm interested in. If you'll notice, most of the people coming to Teens Take The Met are coming on their own or with friends. They're not coming on a school bus or with their parents. They're showing up saying, "this is my spot for the night." There's this youthful ownership of their lives that day.

Left: No wonder one of Sandra's favorite parts of Teens Take The Met is the dance party: her love for music is evident in her vast record collection. Photo by High School Intern Ericka

Ja'lon: What would you say to any teen who is thinking about coming to Teens Take The Met?

Sandra: Come. Just show up. Come with a crew, and be you. Be totally you; whoever that is, whatever that is. Or, take on another persona for the night. Try something on. I would.

If you aren't among the thousands of teens who have attended Teens Take The Met, here's your chance. From gallery activities, performances, music, dancing, and more, there is so much to do at Teens Take The Met! Join us and thousands of other teens from around the city next Friday, May 20. See you there!

Editors' Note: This interview has been edited and abridged from its original version.

Related Event
Teen Night: Teens Take The Met!
Friday, May 20, 5–8 pm
The Met Fifth Avenue - Museum-wide
Free for teens ages 13–18; Museum admission not required