Mercer County Teen Arts Festival Set For May 12

WEST WINDSOR, NJ — Hundreds of teenage artists and performers are set to participate in the 2017 Mercer County Teen Arts Festival, county officials said on Tuesday. The festival takes place on Friday, May 12, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College. 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.

“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,” Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes said.

The day is filled with master classes, workshops and hands-on art-making activities. Through these sessions, teens have the chance to make new friends and network with their peers. They can learn new artistic skills, enhance skills they already have and become better prepared for their future.

Sessions are offered across artistic disciplines. Among the many offerings are: plein air painting, 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. These critiques are aimed at giving the students the chance to see their work in a new light.

All art and performances presented for critique are further evaluated by the adjudicators. A select group of students will get to present their work at the State Teen Arts Festival, May 31 through June 2 at Ocean County Community College in Toms River.

The Mercer County Teen Arts Festival is presented by the Mercer County Division of Culture and Heritage. Marisa N. Benson, is the new Teen Arts Festival Coordinator for this year.

Benson is a Ewing-based arts consultant with experience in community arts and festival programming. She has worked on large multi-arts festivals and events in Trenton, Camden and Orange, with a specific expertise in arts programming for youth, family and community audiences.

For more information, email teenarts@mercercounty.org or call 609-278-2712.

The attached image was provided: Deborah Hockstein provides visual art critiques at the Mercer County Teen Arts Festival.