Many young people may see the National Portrait Gallery as just a site for the occasional field trip, saving them from an afternoon spent in math or Spanish class. But for 25 teens from the Washington, D.C. area, the gallery is a place for them to congregate, learn and practice professional and life skills that would otherwise not be nurtured until they were much older.
Sahtiya Hosada Hammell, education specialist in teen programs at the National Portrait Gallery, leads the Teen Museum Council—a group of teens who have an opportunity to play a role in the programming of a legendary Smithsonian institution museum.
It’s important to them because it allows them to share ideas and form bonds with each other—not to mention learning what it’s like to work at a museum, Hosada Hammell says.
“It’s been really moving to hear them talk about how excited they are to have this agency, and it’s clear they’re very passionate and already forming strong friendships,” she recalls.
The council mostly gets to provide input on programming at the National Portrait Gallery, produce their own art, get an inside view of operations and perform community service, as well as learn more about the gallery’s history.
That starts with a weekly meeting—generally from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Each session begins with introductions (because there is a rotating group of staff members who assist with the council), and then the teens converse and swap any new ideas they might have before a speaker presents to the group for 20 or 30 minutes. Usually, that speaker discusses their profession in the arts or work in a museum.
But the council also unites for bigger occasions—such as events group members plan together.
Hosada Hammell says that the council put on its first event of the year in late September, an interactive exhibit focused on Hispanic Heritage Month. The “pop-up event,” as she calls it, was a success and has led to subsequent events similar in nature. Later in the fall, the group was allowed a special look at the gallery’s Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibit and given the chance to produce their own art for the exhibit.
Important to note, however, is that not all the students who have joined the council are there simply as art lovers. Hosada Hammell says the interests that led each teen to join are much more diverse.
“[The] students aren’t just art focused—we have students who are very interested in history, or design or have a range of interests that bring balanced thinking to the council,” she says.
They also bring diverse perspectives beyond D.C.
The students come from all over the area and attend all sorts of institutions. There are students from Catholic schools in Virginia and public high schools in Maryland. There are freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors, although Hosada Hammell says that the idea is to have mostly upperclassmen.
She shares that her process, as far as drumming up interest in the council, was extensive. The program previously existed in various forms before being killed off by the COVID-19 pandemic. Restarting the council required Hosada Hammell to reach out to art teachers and counselors across the region, eventually garnering around 50 applicants. A final round of applicants were interviewed, letters of recommendation were vetted and the final group was chosen.
Since then, the Teen Museum Council has grown closer and learned more than Hosada Hammell could have hoped for.
“Some students have even been emotional because they don’t have a huge sense of community in their own schools,” she says. “I have had students say, ‘I don’t really have friends, so this is a really great opportunity.’”
