Teen Art Council

MOCA Jacksonville Teen Art Council serves to empower local high school students by creating programming for teens, by teens. Members of Teen Art Council meets bi-weekly to learn about the Museum, engage with different departments, such as Education, Curatorial, and Marketing, develop mission-driven projects, and plan a new annual event for teenagers. As Teen Art Council members create and implement programs, they will effectively increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the Museum. Members of the Teen Art Council will earn volunteer hours for their participation.  

We are thrilled to announce a new year of teen engagement with Teen Art Council. Applications are open now! If your teen wants to engage with the arts and support a local museum, while earning volunteer credit and experience for college, have them apply online by August 31.

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This year, MOCA Jacksonville launched a new initiative to engage local teens in building programming created by and for teens, and supporting the Museum through volunteer service. Our first group of 18 teens worked over the course of the school year to become more deeply involved in the museum's mission to promote the discovery, knowledge, and advancement of at art, artist, and ideas of our time. They engaged with different departments throughout the museum, supported public programming, and worked together to develop mission-driven projects meant to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the museum.

This March, MOCA's Teen Art Council hosted their inaugural Night in Red event, based on the museum's current exhibition Project Atrium - Chirahu Shiota: Letters of Love. Teen Council members worked hard to plan an evening filled with artful activities and fun in the theme of the installation, manage its budget, market it to their peers, set up, and run the event. Their hard work culminated in an amazing night that will not soon be forgotten. More than 110 teens spent the evening exploring the galleries, enjoying interactive art activities, putting their best outfits forward for a fashion contest, and listening to the live music of local band Parks & RAZZ.

MOCA Jacksonville's team is so proud of all of the hard work our Teen Council put into making this event an amazing success and looks forward to seeing how this new program grows in the years to come. 

Want to know how your teen can get involved? Applications will be available in August for the 2022/23 school year! Keep your eyes open for more news this summer.

To apply for MOCA Teen Art Council, candidates must meet these requirements:  

1. Be a 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grader during the 2022-2023 school year at any high school in Jacksonville.  

2. Submit a completed application by the application deadline (TBD).

3. Teens interested in art, music, culture, museums and all types of creative outlets are welcome. You do not need to be an artist in order to apply! 

4. Have availability afterschool for Teen Art Council meetings twice a month from September 2022 through March 2023. 

5. Occasional Saturdays and event days are required beyond regular meeting times. 

6. MOCA Teen Art Council members are expected to follow the rules and guidelines of the program, participate in bi-weekly meetings and occasional events, complete group responsibilities such as art assignments, blog entries, audio/video content, and develop teen centered events for the museum. 

Apply Now