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Artistic Philosophy
The arts must be accessible to all students, whether gifted,
at-risk, wealthy or poor. It is a tragedy if positive experiences in the arts are reserved only for the few who demonstrate exceptional talent or those who can afford private instruction. It is our experience that all students
respond to the challenge of inventing ways to capture ideas and emotions in sound, movement or clay. Teenagers are energized when encouraged to make choices, take risks and share achievements with peers. They value
opportunities to interact with professional, working artists who bring insight to the creative process and offer ways to stretch their artistic vision. These beliefs guide our decision-making and planning process.
There
is an old English saying that goes: Keep company with those who make you better. And another that says: Success is never final and failure is never fatal; it?s courage that counts. ?A great deal of talent is lost to the world
for want of a little courage,? essayist Sydney Smith wrote. ?Every day sends to the grave obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort.? Our goal is to demonstrate excellence by putting teenagers in the
company of the best ? both their peers and professionals - and to encourage participation in the arts by creating supportive and nurturing environments where students can explore their potential.
Not every student will
choose a career in the arts and even fewer will make it to the stages of Broadway or Lincoln Center, but our hope is that every student will come away from a Teen Arts program understanding that the arts, above all, can inform
them and guide about the nature of human excellence.
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY
Beginnings
In 1969, the first New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival took place at McCarter Theatre in Princeton. The event
was conceived of and planned collaboratively by arts educators, administrators within the State Department of Education, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the New Jersey State Museum and McCarter Theatre. The objectives
were to encourage teenagers statewide to explore artistic visions and accomplishments together in a supportive environment and challenge students with new perspectives to stretch their artistic visions. It was planned as an
educational event in a professional setting to provide teenagers with opportunities in the arts not currently offered in schools. Interactive workshops, student performances and exhibitions, and constructive critiquing by
professional artists became cornerstones of the program.
Seven hundred and fifty high school students attended that first event and displayed such enthusiasm, a decision was made to continue it annually. Funding was
provided by the State Department of Community Affairs, matched by the State Department of Education. A Teen Arts Advisory Council formed in 1970 to assist the State Department of Education, who added the program to its
Curriculum and Instruction area. Friends of Teen Arts, Inc. (FOTA) eventually evolved from this advisory council. The council included volunteers from education, the arts, civic groups, business and government. With the help of
these volunteers, community colleges and organizations including the PTA, Junior League and Helping Teachers, Teen Arts Festivals were organized in all 21 New Jersey counties with the goal of encouraging participation locally
and identifying performances for the State Festival. This successful model continues to this day. The majority of counties enjoy thriving County Teen Arts organizations, each fiscally and administratively independent. They
partner with artists, state colleges, local arts educators, statewide arts organizations, county cultural agencies, community sponsors, and the State Teen Arts organization to continue the Teen Arts tradition.
Over time,
as the program enjoyed increased success, additional outreach programs were added, including a statewide touring art exhibit, an annual Teen Arts illustrated calendar, Earthrise: the State Teen Arts creative writing anthology,
school-based artist residencies, community performance showcases, an Interscholastic Assembly program, a Young Composers Festival, a Young Videographers Festival, a Young Playwright?s Festival and the New Jersey Summer Arts
Institute. Today, most continue as Teen Arts programs while others, including Young Playwright?s and the Summer Arts Institute, have been spun off.
FOTA?s Involvement
FOTA served the program in an advisory
and fundraising capacity under several program administrators, including the State Department of Education, Middlesex County Cultural & Heritage Commission and the Institute for Arts & Humanities Education. To position
itself for the future, FOTA incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 1985. Then, in 1995, with funds awarded competitively by the State Department of Education, FOTA acquired full fiduciary responsibility and
management of Teen Arts. The transition was made from an all-volunteer organization to that of a program administrator and employer, with a staff that includes an Executive Director and part-time Administrative Assistant.
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