“We are the next generation”: celebrating Teen Arts Week

This week, public high school students in New York City are getting unparalleled access to the arts in all five boroughs during 92NY School Engagement in the Arts’ Teen Arts Week. Launched by our Teen Producers in 2019, Teen Arts Week offers teens free workshops, performances, and hands-on access to the city’s creative industries — from dance and music to film and visual art, and much more. This year over 40 institutions are partnering with 92NY for more than 70 events across all five boroughs and the Tri-State area — including the Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Lincoln Center, the Mark Morris Dance Group, the Jacob Burns Film Center and many more — allowing students to experience the best art in New York firsthand and stake a claim in the future of their city. It is the only program of its kind.

92NY’s Teen Producers are the driving force behind the entire week. Participating in a two-year career exploration and mentorship program, Teen Producers acquire the tools they need to pursue careers in the creative industries and develop as artists, and their work culminates in Teen Arts Week. “The Teen Producers are essential to every aspect of what’s happening this week,” says School Engagement in the Arts Executive Director Yana Stotland. “They help us decide which organizations to partner with, they help us design the events, they help us market and spread the word, and they help us understand what matters most to young people in our city’s cultural landscape.” Associate Director Lily Mannon concurs. “Over and over again,” she says, “the Teen Producers tell us that they are shocked and delighted to find out that what they are doing for us isn’t just grunt work. They’re helping us steer the ship.”

Teen Arts Week doesn’t just connect young people to the arts — it connects them to one another. Amid an epidemic of isolation and loneliness among American teens, Teen Arts Week puts a community of like-minded students in the same room to make real, concrete connections that have the potential to impact their entire lives. While Teen Producers Claire Cowing, Patrick Lynn, and Saniya Sarower are excited to attend the performances, artists talk-backs, and workshops, they recognize that their work serves a larger purpose.

“People in our generation can be very independent and isolated. Teen Arts Week is a way for us to try new things and build real community,” says Cowing. “If you grew up during the pandemic like we did, it’s very easy to just stay in your room. Meeting new people and making real connections isn’t always easy, but I’m staying in touch with people I’ve met through this experience.”

“The scope and number of events we’re putting on, giving many of us access to what’s available in New York for the first time — it makes this really special,” says Lynn. “There’s something for everyone.”

“Especially if your school doesn’t offer much in the arts,” adds Sarower. “This is a great way to expand your horizons and try something new.”

There is a powerful ripple effect to this work — when passionate young people become invested in the cultural life of their city, the entire city benefits. A new generation of artists, culture workers, and art lovers are seeing their vision for New York become a reality. “Art might be the best way to get your voice heard, and we are the next generation. A place as culturally diverse as New York City thrives on young people and art — being able to bring them together is so important. Our perspective is valuable and this is a way for us to express it.”

Teen Arts Week 2025 kicks off tomorrow, Monday, March 10, and continues until Sunday, March 16.