The program opens doors for teens to learn and create with artists.
The Met Museum welcomed a group of Breakthrough New York high schoolers to its Fifth Avenue location as part of its Teen Fridays program. The students engaged in a hands-on art activity and listened to a panel discuss themes of identity and archives.
Teen Fridays at The Met is an initiative designed to bring youth together to be creative and collaborate in a teen-friendly environment. It also serves as a chance for the museum to expand its community outside of its regular patrons.
“Being able to have this partnership [with Breakthrough New York is] about accessibility and being able to break the doors down, so this institution feels welcoming for everybody,” says Jeary Payne, Associate Editor, Teen Programs. “I don’t feel like you can say you’re part of the community and not truly [do] work that represents that.”
To learn more about Teen Fridays at The Met, visit their website or Instagram.
Teaching Artist Alayna Wiley facilitated a Polaroid activity with students centered on portraits and identity. They also heard from a panel of museum curators and professionals as they discussed the importance of history and culture through art.
The visit was a unique way for Breakthrough students to connect in a space outside of a classroom. “Personally, I’m very interested in museums. To be able to do [this] with Breakthrough and people that I love in the program is so amazing,” says Raquel, a 9th grader.
Breakthrough New York partners with a variety of organizations to provide enrichment opportunities for its scholars. To learn how to become a partner, contact Bianca Vinoya, Director of Development, at [email protected]
About Breakthrough New York
Breakthrough New York empowers motivated students from low-income backgrounds to graduate from college and pursue a fulfilling career. Our ten-year, tuition-free program provides students from low-income backgrounds with the opportunities, resources, and relationships to succeed in rigorous schools and careers. Over 90% of Breakthrough students graduate from college each year.
About The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.
