This year, the Teen Arts Annual adopted the theme ‘ARTIVIST’. 'Art as Activism' or Artivist, a play on Art + Activist. Students were asked to submit works of art that express the student artist’s desire to deepen public discussions of civic issues and core values. How can (students) through the making of an original artwork persuade viewers by creating affective visual experiences that prompts the viewer to question the world as it is, imagine a world as it could be, and join together to make that new world real. Art is a means by which to imagine the unimaginable, and artistic activism is the medium that can suggest it as a possibility.
The works in this exhibit were created from September 2019 - February 2020
List of participating schools
American History High School
Arts High School
Bard High School Early College
Barringer High School
Central High School
Eagle Academy for Young Men
East Side High School
Malcolm X Shabazz High School
NJ Regional Day
Science Park High School
Technology High School
Newark Board of Education
Roger León, Superintendent
Newark Board of Education
Josephine C. Garcia, President
Dawn Haynes, Vice President
Bruno Coelho, Student Representative
Shayvonne Anderson
Hasani K. Council
Yambeli Gomez
Flohisha Johnson
A’Dorian Murray Thomas
Asia J. Norton
Tave Padilla
Nicole T. Johnson, Deputy Superintendent
Dr. Mario Santos, Assistant Superintendent High Schools
Dr. Mary Ann Reilly, Assistant Superintendent Teaching and Learning
Margaret El, Director, Visual and Performing Arts
Katherine Brodhead-Cullen, Supervisor, Visual and Performing Arts
Participating Arts Educators
American History High School - Jason Lee
American History High School - Hakim Smith
Arts High School - Kennis Fairfax
Arts High School - JC Lenochan
Arts High School - Robert Richardson
Arts High School - Toni Thomas
Bard High School Early College - David Oquendo
Barringer High School - Richard Martin
Central High School - Jaclyn DeStefano
Central High School - Stephen Ellis
Eagle Academy for Young Men - Mahaley Stewart Bowles
East Side High School - Kelly Rachel, Student Teacher
East Side High School - Denise Wiseman
Malcolm X Shabazz High School - Comfort Ndukwe
NJ Regional Day - Jacqueline Abend
Science Park High School - Terry Brewin
Science Park High School - Pamela Cole
Technology High School - Ifeoma Ejiogu King