TAG Member Brooke and Former High School Intern Cynthia stop for a selfie during last Friday's Teens Take the Met. Photograph courtesy of the author
«At long last, teens took the Met last Friday, October 16, but with 4,440 teens dancing, exploring, and creating together, I'd say we stormed the Met! The event certainly lived up to and even surpassed the stories my friends shared from previous Teens Take the Met events. This time, I acquired my own stories from Loud Library, the partner activities, the dance party, and the cityscape from The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden.»
My first stop was Loud Library, a reinvented version of Nolen Library in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center, on the ground floor of the Museum. In the not-so-quiet, totally cool library, teens were able to write on the glass walls with neon pink, yellow, green, orange, and blue markers. Although the Met's walls are adorned with artworks, I certainly did not envision myself contributing to the art. Drawing on the wall at the Met was liberating and made me feel like a professional artist.
A photo posted by Jared Ash (@ashjared) on Oct 16, 2015 at 4:09pm PDT
After eating some tasty snacks, I checked out the many partner tables and activities lining the Uris Center. At the activity station led by the American Museum of Natural History, I got the chance to try out light-reflection goggles that recreated how babies perceive light. Feeling so utterly confused while wearing the goggles, I developed a new appreciation for the brain development all babies undergo. I was surprised and excited to have this type of experience at the Met!
One of my favorite aspects of Teens Take the Met was the major convergence of New York's art-obsessed teens. I realized that to fit in I could definitely use some swag, so my next stop was the activity station led by The Frick Collection, where I selected a picture of a painting and transformed that picture into a button. Without a doubt, I looked way more appropriate for the event with my art button. Another great spot where I enhanced my look was the metallurgy station led by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian in the Mesoamerican gallery, where my friends and I made our own shimmering gold jewelry.
#designlab #metteens #metmuseum @metmuseum
A photo posted by David Bowles (@iamdavidbowles) on Oct 16, 2015 at 3:52pm PDT
I then headed back downstairs to check out the dance party with Abby the DJ. The energy there was incomparable to any party I had ever been to! More an observer than a dancer, I couldn't resist the opportunity to share the loud, vibrant fun with all my friends on Snapchat. I'll definitely need to learn some moves before next spring's Teens Take the Met!
The temple is really coming alive tonight #metteens
A photo posted by Jason Veloz (@xetro195) on Oct 16, 2015 at 3:57pm PDT
My friends and I were eager to see the Cantor Roof Garden before the night ended, and certainly before the exhibition The Roof Garden Commission: Pierre Huyghe closes on November 1. I always really enjoyed viewing Manhattan's cityscape from the Cantor Roof Garden, which feels like the top of the world, but I'd never seen the view at night. Shimmering, twinkling, and glistening, the city was an idyllic sight. In fact, I capitalized on that Kodak moment by taking the perfect Instagram shot. After the photo shoot, my friends and I sat up there with some coffee; it was the most perfect place to just hang out and catch up.
TAG Member Brooke in front of the city view from the Cantor Roof Garden. Photograph courtesy of the author
Teens Take the Met gave me the chance to draw on the Museum's walls, learn new things, experience a fun, high-energy party, and relax with my friends—all in one night. Even with this diverse range of activities, the Museum was packed with teens who had at least one thing in common: a passion for creativity. I will most definitely be attending more Teens Take the Met events!