Teen Council
Composed of young arts enthusiasts, Teen Council serves at the Museum’s vehicle for attracting the city’s teen population to CAMH and exposing them to the vibrant field of contemporary art. For council members, the group serves as a highly collaborative creative incubator that opens up opportunities for leadership, visual literacy, and life skill development. During weekly meetings, the council is introduced to the inner workings of museums and to the dynamic Houston arts community. Activities are decided upon by its members and can change from year to year, but past programs developed by the group include art markets, exhibitions, fashion shows, film screenings, listening parties, music festivals, and poetry slams.
Teen Council's 25th Anniversary
Founded in 1999, Teen Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary year. Through 25 cohorts of stewardship, Teen Council has been teen-led and supported under the guidance of CAMH’s Learning and Engagement team, cultivating a reciprocal learning environment which brings Houston-area teens to enrich CAMH while providing the resource to inspire new relationships with Houston’s contemporary arts space.
To commemorate 25 years of teen-led programming, Teen Council members, alumni, exhibiting artists, performers, mentors, and collaborators are invited to celebrate Teen Council’s legacy, possibility, and present-day activity through a full year of activities including the biennial exhibition, alumni programming, and more.
2024-25 Teen Council Members
The 25th Anniversary cohort of Teen Council includes Mylinh Bui, Chloe Cheuk, Andrew Hernandez, Hemani Koppolu, Bela Kumar, Isabella Landin, Anjali Martinez, Christopher McCord, Peace Okoh, Mia Ramos, Kerah Roque, Zarah Saffar, Ray Tian, and Sophia Zhao.
Purpose
As a teen collaborative of peers, united in our diversity of experience and identity, we aim to:
advance formative arts programming that connects young, local artists with young, local communities
engage in collective meaning-making which transcends individual identity, and
demystify the arts for young people regardless of their prior arts backgrounds
Read more about the Teen Council Room to Rise Study For more about the annual Martel Award, visit here.
Apply to Teen Council
Applications for Teen Council are open to teens from the Greater Houston Area, ages 14-18. During weekly meetings, council members conceive and implement teen-led, teen-centered public programs. In exchange, teens receive a stipend and are introduced to the inner workings of museums and to the dynamic Houston arts community.
Biennial Exhibitions
Every other year, CAMH’s Teen Council organizes an exhibition in the Nina and Michael Zilkha Gallery featuring new work by young, Houston-area artists.
Public Programs
Designed by teens for teens, these programs are curated by Teen Council and relate to CAMH’s exhibitions and current issues impacting Houston teens. Past programs have art markets, fashion shows, film screenings, and more.
Open Calls
Young artists and creatives are invited to submit to Teen Council’s open calls for the exhibitions and programs they curate throughout the year.
Support
CAMH Teen Council is made possible by the generous support of H-E-B and additional support from Mary Ann and Mark Miller, and Anonymous.
Learning and Engagement at CAMH is made possible by the generous support of H-E-B, the Rea Charitable Trust, Elisa and Cris Pye, Dillion Kyle and Sam Lasseter, Cabrina and Steven Owsley, Vivian L. Smith Foundation, Arts Connect Houston, Mary Ann and Mark Miller, Anonymous, Arts Connect Houston Arts Action Fund, and the Texas Commission of the Arts.
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
