Establishing a Youth Council in a Local Art Gallery or Art Museum

Abstract

This Major Research Paper focused on the need for youth arts councils in the Niagara Region. Participation in youth councils offers adolescents a wealth of enriching experiences that can alter both their worldview as well as their understanding of themselves. On a youth arts council, adolescents can discover a new world of art and its cultural value. They can express themselves through their own art while sharing the experience with other teenagers who are doing the same. They can connect with these like-minded teens as they achieve personal goals and contribute to the welfare of the community. Therefore, in an era in which people are concerned about teens’ over-reliance on mobile devices and other so-called screen addictions, getting adolescents off of the couch or cell phone and onto a more participatory, productive path is important. This study illustrates how Niagara’s art galleries and art museums are cultural and historical ambassadors that can and must play a major role in helping students connect possibilities with engaging purpose while having fun.