Hunter Museum of American Art

Last month, the Hunter Teen Advisory Council hosted its first public event, "The Lesley Dill Open Mic Night." From 6 to 8 p.m. teens took the stage performing in 15-minute sets.

Some acts were booked in advance but the majority of the performers signed up for performance times that night. The evening was full of diversity from the trance-like beats of "Fareway," the guitar serenades of "Saving Ashley," to the mesmerizing words of local poets.

Immediately following each act was the sound of applause from the sixty or so teens that came out for this event. The night was very relaxed with jokes and laughter between songs and sets.

The power of language evident in the Lesley Dill exhibit was also evident in the lyrics, music, and poems from the performers. After the final song was sung, many teens had very positive things to say about the event. Some were surprised that the Hunter had teen-focused events and many people asked when the next event would take place.

I think it is safe to say that the event was a great success in creating awareness of the Hunter to teenagers and hopefully creating interest for our future HTAC programs.

Matthew Campbell, HTAC member