What a different world! Your teens may be venturing into places you've just read about. Although they may still be interested in the tried and true ‑- major museums,
symphonies and the like ‑- many will be drawn to trying more unconventional programming, which in the end, is not a bad way for them to test their independence. (Photo: Performers at Manhattan Children's Theater. © Manhattan Children's Theater)
Interest-oriented museum exhibits
This age group is attracted to specific exhibits that are close to their own interests. If a kid likes cool gadgets, he may like a design museum exhibit on the house of the future. If he's invested in social commentary, contemporary art and photo exhibits might speak to him.
Film centers
The Gene Siskel Film Center at the Art Institute of Chicago, which runs festivals with themes ranging from comedy to TK, is perfect for teens ‑- who are nothing if not movie fans. If you don't live near an actual film center (they're often associated with a museum) or film school, watch out for independently run film festivals or temporary exhibits, like the Optic Nerve nights at Miami's Museum of Contemporary Art.
Emerging artists
Teens are trend conscious. Play to that by getting them interested in the people who are pushing the envelope in art. Big-name institutions may not be the best sources for new artists; try smaller venues like the PS1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City, New York.
Interactive computer art and electronic music
The fusion of computers and art has led to the development of art forms that weren't even around when we were kids. But today's teens, whose daily lives are defined by their interaction with cell phones, computers and iPods, are naturally attracted to interactive and electronic art. Check modern art museums, specialized galleries and universities for exhibitions. There are also independent expositions like the San Francisco Electronic Music Festival, which celebrates the fusion of technology and music, featuring artists who use everything from laptop-generated sound to amplified found objects and who incorporate video, improv and other performance art into their work. Even planetariums have gotten into the act with SonicVision shows featuring 3-D visualizations and animation set to a musical score mixed by Moby. Originally a collaborative effort of the American Natural History Museum in New York and MTV2, it has spread to such places as the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the Fels Planetarium at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
Arts programming for teens
You'd be surprised at how many institutions understand teenagers ‑- at least enough to know they'd prefer to spend most of their hanging-out time with other teens. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has Teen-to-Teen Art Talks where the gallery talks are led by kids. The Chicago Shakespeare Theater does abridged teen programs, combining a 75-minute version of a Shakespeare piece with a 15-minute after-performance talk with the actors. And the Whitney Museum in New York does a Teen Night Out, which starts with art talks in its galleries and progresses into dancing with a live DJ.
Fashion and design exhibits
The detail of design is a lot more interesting for teens than for younger kids. At the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, a recent exhibit combined fashion, industrial design, architecture and a talk by fashion-design wunderkind Zac Posen. The Costume Institute of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art mounts changing fashion exhibits. And temporary exhibits at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., feature everything from public-space design to new concepts in affordable housing, escalators to origami depictions of architecture.
Small, local, live performances
Teenagers are sophisticated enough to appreciate the nuances of a live performance and the intimacy of a smaller venue. Modern dance, experimental theater, poetry readings and jazz are all great in small spaces. And while we're on the topic of theater, drama is a really appropriate and relevant genre for this age group, unlike the younger set.