The 2017 Mercer County Teen Arts Festival will be held Friday, May 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The festival provides high school and middle school students from the county’s public, private and parochial schools an opportunity for a day of full arts immersion at Mercer County Community College.
“Mercer County has many remarkably talented young people, and the Teen Arts Festival gives them an opportunity to display their work to a wide audience and get positive feedback from professionals in the art world,” said Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes.
The day is filled with master classes, workshops and hands-on art-making activities, and sessions are offered across artistic disciplines. Among the many offerings are: plein air painting sessions; ceramics and portfolio review for those engaged in visual arts; performing arts students can explore music improv, modern dance or rock vocals; and students with literary ideas can work on creative storytelling and publishing workshops.
Critique sessions are also a key aspect of the day. Experts and teachers in each arts field offer students constructive feedback on their work and performances to help advance students’ understanding of their work, provide suggestions for future exploration in their field, and even offer guidance for their future academic and career endeavors.
All art and performances presented for critique are further evaluated by the adjudicators, and a select group of students are offered a special opportunity to present their work at the State Teen Arts Festival, which takes place May 31 through June 2 at Ocean County Community College in Toms River.
Questions about the Mercer County Teen Arts Festival or other Division of Culture and Heritage programs may be directed to teenarts@mercercounty.org or (609) 278-2712.
Deborah Hockstein provides visual art critiques at the Mercer County Teen Arts Festival.,
