Teens take over the Met Museum with free art-making, silent dance parties, selfies, and more
Epic Theatre performs in the Velez Blanco Patio at The Met. Teens Take The Met! Fall 2019. Photo credit: Filip Wolak.
Teens will take over the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Friday for an evening full of free creative and educational events. “Teens Take the Met!” takes place at the Upper East Side museum on May 20 and offers a jam-packed schedule of art-making, music and dance, theater, and more, including a silent dance party in the Temple of Dendur and dance lessons from Ballet Hispánico. Welcoming teens aged 13 to 18, the event returns as an on-site experience for the first time since 2019.
Illustration by Natalia Agatte for The Met
Teen Night first began in 2014 as a way for young New Yorkers to interact with the museum in new and fun ways. Because of Covid, last year’s event was held online, which drew more than 18,000 participants, according to the museum.
This year, the event will feature events from 39 cultural and community partners, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Public Library, The Center for Architecture, El Museo del Barrio, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Museum of Chinese in America, New-York Historical Society, Poster House, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, Youth Pride Chorus, and others.
Some activities include tunes from a teen DJ, pop-up performances, scene writing, origami, button making, zine-making, calligraphy lessons, a selfie station, and a scavenger hunt. See the full schedule of events here.
“We are thrilled to host this very special edition of Teens Take the Met!, marking a return to in-person engagement for young people,” Heidi Holder, the museum’s Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education, said. “We are proud to create a space that celebrates the bright, vibrant spirits of our teen visitors, who continue to demonstrate the incredible creativity and resilience of this city.”
The event is free and open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Reservations are not required, but recommended. Do so here. Face coverings are required for all visitors regardless of vaccination.
For other after-hours fun for adults, the Met hosts a “Date Night” every Friday and Saturday evening that includes drink specials and live music.
RELATED:
