Juvenilia

“We need to do a show.” These are the words of Isabella Bustamante, founder and director of http://www.teenartsalon.com/. Teen Art Salon is an arts platform based in NYC that gives young people the opportunity to create, learn, and share ideas outside of a classroom setting. I got a chance to chat with Isabella at the inaugural Teen Art Salon exhibition, “Juvenilia”. The exhibit featured the work of more than twenty artists and poets between the ages of 13 and 19. The gallery was nothing short of incredible. It presented a wide range of art including digital, photography, poetry, film, paintings, and sketches. (Not to mention literally the best lemonade I’ve ever had in my life). The art touched on themes that strive to “defy the two dimensional portrayal of contemporary youth.” This mission is extraordinarily important. So often adolescents are written off as being overdramatic and ungrateful. We are encouraged to follow our dreams while at the same time being scolded for not conforming to societal standards. Isabella spoke to this by saying her goal is “to celebrate inspiring, dedicated young people.” These are the people that deserve to be celebrated for their astounding creativity. The exhibit was equivalent to one that could have been featured at MoMA or The Whitney. The atmosphere of the gallery was electric. Creativity was sizzling through the space! I got to talk to two of the other attendees, Alex and Carson. They also happened to be artists exploding with creativity and had undeniably the grooviest rainbow hair. When talking about her creative process Carson didn’t miss a beat saying, “Well I sleep a lot; then I wakeup and everything is so much clearer.” Honestly this speaks to me on a spiritual level. When we stop stressing and let ourselves just be present in the moment everything flows so much more naturally, whether it be a painting or pre-calc homework. Similarly to EX LOCUM, the Teen Art Salon is a safe place for young artists to go when they feel like outsiders in their own world. Isabella was right- they needed to do a show