Generation O: A Convening for Teens and their Arts Organizations

GENERATION 0
Abstract: With the election of a young candidate that communicates with his supporters via text messages from his Facebook page, the post-baby-boomer era has possibly begun.[1] The endless “us versus them” battles from the 1960s, over Vietnam, abortion, race and gender is about to be replaced by a paradigm that begins with “we.” Buzzwords such as hope, optimism, change and the phrase “yes, we can” are embraced as a new language for this future generation.

Young people growing up in this era of a new future are already technologically-savvy, ultra-connected to one another, and are unafraid to pursue interests outside of school or home. They thrive on self-expression, and are amongst the most informed and socially-engaged generations that have yet to come of age in America. As a result, their expectations of cultural institutions that seek to engage them also grow increasingly higher. They are looking for new outlets, new places for connections, and more sophisticated ways to get their viewpoints heard. If their needs are not met and exceeded, they will pursue their interests elsewhere – or will start their own organizations. How can museums and other non-profits meet these new, rising expectations of a younger generation? How can cultural organizations become better prepared to meet these demands and still hold true to their mission? And, most of all, how can we create more opportunities for teens to connect with us?

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston will host a national convening sponsored by the Wallace Foundation on August 12-14, 2009 to address these issues. The ICA will invite four leading arts organizations and two teens from each site to share their experiences with programs for adolescents. Through presentations and group discussions, the convening will:

• Investigate how the tools/experiences of teens in museums are shaping their future.
(learning from teens & alumni)
• Investigate how institutions maintain constant relevance to teens. (learning from colleagues & teen advisory councils)
• Facilitate a nation-wide exchange of ideas among teens and arts providers. (via discussions, website, etc)

Source: Cave, Damien. “Generation O Gets Its Hopes Up,” New York Time, November 9, 2008.
Proposed Invitees to the ICA:
East Coast Representatives:

MoMA - Red Studio
Mid-West Representatives:

Walker Art Center: active Teen Arts Council (WAC TAC)
Marwen: Free fine art programs for under-served youth

South East
Museum of Contemporary Art/North Miami: Innovative writing programs, with emphasis on teenage girls and contemporary art.