The Museum of Wisconsin Art emphasizes education
By Chloe Bauer, Current Staff
Courtney Hinder remembers growing up having very few artistic opportunities outside of her school art class.
Flash forward 15 years. Now Hinder’s job is to ensure that students today have access to many experiences with art. As the curator of youth education at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, Hinder oversees the MOWA Teen Council, which meets twice a month to plan events for teens, assist with the annual teen art exhibition, work with professional artists and offer a chance for students to impact their community.
The Teen Council, which started in 2021, is made up of student members from Washington County and counties nearby.
“Over the last three years I’ve loved seeing the connection Teen Council provides,” Hinder said. “Teen Council members become close over their term which is priceless and they create connections for teens outside of the Teen Council. Having events designed by teens ensures that everyone feels welcome, safe to meet others, and be their creative self.”
This effort to create a welcoming, non-judgemental environment is not lost on council members, who have felt safe enough to be vulnerable in their creation.
“It’s not always important for your first idea to be the best,” said Leo Nava, a council member who attends West Bend West High School. “It’s okay to have a million ideas and only pick one to flesh out. Not everything is perfect and you don’t have to pretend to know what you’re doing.”
The MOWA Teen Art Council has not only served as an outlet for artistic students, but also a way for them to be the change they want to see in the community. Members help organize and plan many events, such as the teen art exhibition, teen photography wall, and free teen art meet-ups for any students to attend.
All high schoolers are eligible for a free teen membership to the museum. Students involved with the program learn valuable lessons through improving themselves and those around them.
“This council is so important because it has pushed me out of my comfort zone, especially with doing new things and meeting new people,” Kettle Moraine Lutheran student and council member Maddie Boelte said. “I also find it very rewarding to help other teens feel the same way, and explore themselves within the world of art.”
Applications for the 2024-2025 Teen Council are open now on the MOWA website.
(Top photo: MOWA’s Teen Council. Photo courtesy of Miranda Aalto.)
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