RCSJ Celebrates Teen Art at Festival

Vineland – On a warm, luminous spring day, nearly a thousand high school students gleefully descended on historic, downtown Millville to participate in the Cumberland & Cape May Counties Teen Arts Festival.

On March 29, Rowan College of South Jersey’s (RCSJ) Arts & Innovation Center (AIC) co-hosted this special event along with the Levoy Theatre, the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts (RRCA), and the Millville Glasstown Arts District.

The Teen Arts Festival included an assortment of innovative components intended to enhance the ability and careers of young artists from Cumberland and Cape May counties. Vineland, Millville, and Cape May County Technical were just a few of the high schools who were represented at this event.

The major components of the festival consisted of student exhibits and performances, student critiques, and student workshops. The event was designed to promote the importance and undeniable value of arts education in schools.

“I think it’s a positive way for not only teens, but everybody to indulge their creative sides [and] express themselves,” said Jackie Sandro-Greenwell, director, Fine Arts and Clay College, RCSJ–Cumberland.

The budding artists had a chance to submit film, creative writing, and visual art projects that were judged by professional adjudicators. The adjudicated categories included art, dance, musical theater, 2D and 3D visual, plus more. The festival culminates with a Winners’ Ceremony on Wednesday, April 19 at the Levoy Theatre.

The students were able to participate in workshops such as Poetry with Found Objects at the RRCA, Broadway Jazz at the Levoy, and West African Dance at the American Legion. They also got an opportunity to view their fellow artists' work on display at the AIC. According to Sandro-Greenwell, several of those pieces were selected to be placed in a state-wide art exhibit.

“I really liked seeing all the different types of people walking around, seeing all the different styles, watching some performances,” said Kenadie Hanagan, a 15-year-old student from Cape May County Technical High School. “There are some really good artists and singers.”

“My favorite part is … just being around a bunch of like-minded individuals,” said Tana Moran, a 17-year-old senior at Cape May Tech. Moran, who is experiencing progressive hearing loss, created artwork to shine a light on the underrepresentation of deaf culture in our society.

“I feel like when you’re from a small town, you don’t really have a bunch of people [who] have and share a common interest,” she revealed. “But being here, I’ve really been able to … see a bunch of people who are just like me and are motivated and inspired by art, and truly want to do art, and be artists in the future.”

Sandro-Greenwell, a well-respected advocate for the arts, echoed her previous thoughts regarding the positive impact festivals like these can have on the youth.

“When the kids come in and see their artwork hung and they have the extra bonus of being selected by the state, they’re just beaming and excited,” she said. “Their teachers are proud, they’re proud. That gives them such confidence and [high] self-esteem.”

She also noted the AIC’s participation in the Cumberland & Cape May Counties Teen Arts Festival can also be utilized as a vehicle to promote the wonderful programs RCSJ has to offer to students and the community.

“I [think] it was a good opportunity … as far as increasing … enrollment in the Art Department and the College in general,” Sandro-Greenwell, explained. “At least some of those [students] might want to attend RCSJ.

“I think all of it is really great for the teens to experience. Go Humanities – because we need it.”

For more information about the Rowan College of South Jersey Arts & Innovation Center, visit RCSJ.edu/ArtsInnovation.