Sunday, April 16, 2023 | 2–4pm
ADMISSION: Free with advanced registration
Join us to celebrate teen contributions to The Contemporary Jewish Museum as we highlight our Teen Art Connect (TAC) interns' work on two CJM exhibitions.
For the virtual exhibition What We Hold: A Youth Audio Project, TAC interns created audio reflections that tell the stories of the people, moments, and memories that shape their identities. These compelling recordings offer a rare window into personal reflections of youth today.
Interns have also shared audio recordings of their reflections on The Museum’s architecture for the exhibition L’Chaim: Celebrating Our Building at 15, an exhibition exploring the deep symbolism and hidden meanings embedded in our iconic building. Accessible through QR codes located in symbolically significant spaces throughout The Museum, these recordings allow visitors to hear and observe TAC interns’ impressions in situ.
Come celebrate teen voices, hear spoken word performances and remarks by teens sharing the process and inspiration for their recordings, and enjoy time to explore both exhibitions.
Click below or email teens@thecjm.org to RSVP for this free program.
The teen years are instrumental in the creation of a sense of self. They are also a critical time in the creation of what psychologists from The Family Narrative Lab at Emory University call the “intergenerational self”—a self embedded within a larger familial history.
What shapes us? Which family histories become our core stories? How do we make them our own? In the fifth iteration of What We Hold, teens have created individual audio recordings reflecting on and connecting with their families’ stories.
Teen participants worked with a professional poet to explore spoken word poetry as a tool for self-discovery, empowerment, and connecting with family and community. Each recording represents a creative exploration and window into the experiences and thoughts of today’s youth.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum’s celebrated building, designed by world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, has served as an artistic, community, and cultural generator since its opening fifteen years ago. This exhibition delves into the deep symbolism imbued in this iconic building, which once served as a power substation and has been home to The CJM since 2008. Inspired by the Hebrew phrase l’chaim (“to life”), used most often as a toast to mark moments of togetherness and celebration, the architecture of The CJM’s building embodies the values, traditions, and ideas The Museum explores within its walls. L'Chaim: Celebrating Our Building at 15 explores the multitude of symbols layered in the space we inhabit, unlocking the meaning behind its dynamic energy and allowing all who visit to experience the space anew.
Photo: Bruce Damonte
Teen programs at The Contemporary Jewish Museum are made possible with generous support from the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and U.S. Bank.