I recently went to a teen night event at the Museum of Art and Design (also known as MAD) to experience a Teen Night, since I had never been to one before, but had always been curious about going. The night started out in the lobby, where I lingered around a group of teenagers, amazed by how many teens had shown up early and eager to party at a museum. After waiting for a few minutes, we crammed into elevators in groups, and started our journey to the sixth floor.

At first, we were shocked by how small the room was-I think when teens think of a Teen Night, we tend to think of dance clubs and lounges. However, it quickly became apparent that the room was more than enough to hold enough attractions to keep our eyes roving. There was a music speaker was off to the side playing music in Japanese, and I saw many teens wander over to inquire about the playlist and how to find it themselves. A table with snacks was off the right so it would be easily visible but not in the way. It was the first thing that drew everyone’s attention and soon many made new friends over the trading and sharing of candy. What caught my eye first was photo shoot was set up next to the window, with props in front of said window. Over to the side was a dividing screen which housed teens learning how to make figures out of paper, the Japanese art of origami. I decided that the only way to do the place justice was to try each attraction, and then explore the rest of the museum.

The first thing I did was head straight to the candy, which I was pleased to find was all ethnically Japanese, and wasn’t just the Americanized version. I would love to tell you which candies there were besides Pocky, but although I took Japanese for three years, I had a hard time reading the labels. This didn’t deter anyone however, and soon the room was full of the loud talk of teenagers giggling and chatting among themselves, added by the sugary rush of candy.

Photo 1: Japanese Candy

Then I wandered over to the photo shoot station. I personally did not take a photo but I observed that the organizers were doing a great job interacting with the teens, making them feel comfortable by letting them take their time to pose and re-do pictures. Props varied from handheld items like a parasol to stickers, which meant there was something for everyone. The main point of the photo booth seemed to be so teens would warm up to the idea of taking pictures, and use the hashtag provided when taking their own pictures, as well as appeal to selfie culture.

Photo 2: Picture of Teens

Photo 3: Sign hanging next to the booth

Photo 4: Teens in the Space

My favorite part of the teen night was going to the exhibits. There was a Japanese exhibit called Kogei which translates to “artisan crafts” and deals with traditions unique to different regions of Japan. The exhibit showed all kinds of mediums from porcelain, gold, platinum, ceramic, cypress, lacquer, shells, and much more. As a person very interested in Japanese cultures, I wish there was more of the exhibit and perhaps a guided tour, but it was also very lovely to have the time to explore on my own. The museum did a great job of having Japanese and English descriptions of each artist’s work and the artist himself. From what little Japanese I could read, it was clear that time had been taken to ensure accuracy, and it wasn’t just run through Google Translate.

Photo 5: Panorama of Kogei Exhibition

The Japanese theme continued on the sixth floor where there were three different artists hosting open studio workshops: one about print making, one about making pop-up cards, and one about kintsugi, a Japanese pottery technique. I was a bit confused at first because the word I know is kintsukuroi, but apparently the words mean the same thing: to repair pottery with gold or silver and to understand that the piece is lovelier for having been broken.

Photo 6: Studio with kintsugi

Photo 7: Sign for the workshop

Photo 8: “Broken Bowls”

I was pleased and slightly surprised to find out that the staff working the event was not only personable but also interested in the arts in their personal lives. In other words, the staff was not working at a museum because they needed a job but because they truly loved art culture and wanted to share art events with others. I had a conversation with one lady about Ebony Patterson, a Jamaican artist, whose exhibition about race, gender and social constructs will be on view at MAD from November 10th, 2015 to April 3, 2016. She seemed genuinely interested in the topics such as race, gender, and social constructs, which made me, feel like I was in a space that liked to delve into the same topics I did. I felt like I was talking to one of my peers about art, not just a staff member who was doing their job or was concerned.
My only remark to make against the night was it was clearly designed for teens already traveling in groups which left me with little actual discourse between fellow teenagers. I did however meet a fellow Teen Reviewers and Critics (TRaC) participant, who lightened my mood and made me realize how these Teen Nights really do draw NYC together. Overall, it was an amazing experience that I would re-live again, and next time, I would bring all of my friends.