Working It: Teens Take The Met

Teens creating ancient Egyptian–inspired amulets in The Temple of Dendur during the fourth Teens Take The Met. Photo by Gabby

«For the last Teens Take The Met, which happened on Friday, May 20, I co-planned and ran an activity with my fellow high school interns Aly and Gabby and a few others. In it, teens were able to choose from metal amulets with ancient Egyptian–inspired symbols, and then watch a live demonstration of artists stamping them. The teens also made their own customized jewelry using colors typically found in ancient Egyptian arts. Thanks to the MediaLab's project Color The Temple, the teens were able to see these colors on a portion of The Temple of Dendur as they made the jewelry. We wanted to share a bit of our experience creating and managing this activity, so I sat down with Aly and Gabby to discuss our expectations, challenges, and recommendations.»

Teens witnessing a projection of the colors that would have originally been on The Temple of Dendur in Color The Temple, a project designed by The Met's Media Lab. Photo by Don Pollard

Nichole: What surprised you about Teens Take The Met?

Gabby: I think it was how many teens actually came to the event because I didn't realize it would reach that many.

Aly: It was my first Teens Take The Met, so it wasn't like I had any expectations based on previous years, but when I walked in, I thought, "Woah, there are so many teens here!" Then I saw how many came to our booth and filled the galleries.

Teens lined up outside the building waiting to get into Teens Take The Met on Friday, May 20. 3,338 teens came out! Photo by Filip Wolak

Nichole: While working Teens Take The Met, what were some of the challenges you experienced?

Gabby: Well, there were some miscommunications at times with workers who were going to help with our activity that we hadn't talked to before. As much as that caused some confusion, I think [another challenge] was the random sporadic waves of people that we'd get. One minute it would be sort of quiet in The Temple of Dendur, and the next I'd be handing out bags out to a multitude of people.

Aly: I agree, because I was the greeter, or the person that explained the activity, so sometimes a huge crowd of people would come at me. I would have to repeat and start from the beginning, so I would get a little nervous, but I got through it.

Nichole: I was a greeter at two stations, and I think, for me, it was knowing when to approach people . . . because even though you want everyone to feel welcomed and included, you don't want to be patronizing. If someone came in and had their eyes focused towards a certain area, like at a group of people or another gallery, or was just relaxing, I didn't want to put both of us in a situation where they'd have to reject my invitation to join. I think that's a key part of being a greeter: knowing who you're about to approach and understanding body language. But even then, everyone politely declined, so it wasn't awkward at all.

Teens making jewelry in The Temple of Dendur. Photo by Filip Wolak

Nichole: After facing these challenges, what would you do differently?

Gabby: I think I would try to plan out when to take breaks and what to tell people if they had any questions, but I wouldn't change anything else. Well, other than my shift being late, because [I missed] a lot of the events I wanted to go to.

Aly: Well, I had an early shift, but I'd probably eat a better snack because I was on my feet for a long time. I started to get dehydrated and tired quickly. I'd also wear more comfortable shoes. But I was impressed with our team! When we got there, two of the workers who weren't interns were asking if we knew what to do, and we said, "Oh yeah. We're ready to go!" We were a machine.

Nichole: What's something you want people to know about Teens Take The Met?

Aly: I would say it's just . . . fun! I think that, until people actually come to it, they think it's going to be a bunch of boring activities, where we just sit around, stare at art, and do nothing, but it's actually the opposite. All my friends were asking what event I was at when I put it on my [Snapchat] story!

The Met's ground floor transformed into a giant dance floor with teens from all over New York. Photo by Filip Wolak

Gabby: [On questions about her Snapchat story] Me too! But I feel like when most teens think of a museum, they think of fine art and a quiet atmosphere. Honestly, Teens Take The Met is the opposite of quiet. There's a lot of diversity there. You go to the ground floor and there's a party packed with teens on the dance floor from all over New York. It's more than a museum that night; it's something people should try and experience for themselves.

Nichole: This was my first time, too. I remember the DJ took a break right before 7 o'clock, but made an announcement saying, "If you guys have been here before, you know what's going down at 7 o'clock!" And the entire floor cheered! I was so excited at that point. I honestly wasn't ready for the intensity of it all. I completely agree that some people have their own idea of who goes to The Met and who can experience these things, but when I'm here, I see diversity in every aspect of the word. It reminds me that this is where art comes from: diversity. At the end of the day, there are different definitions and interpretations of art, and [different] ways to express it.

The Met has just completed its fourth successful Teens Take The Met, but there are still several ways to get involved this summer! To see the next time you can join in on the fun, check out our Teen Programs. As for the next Teens Take The Met, we'll see you in the fall!

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