Night at the museum

Being a young artist can be discouraging. There’s a lack of venues and organizations promoting underage art showcases. But the Holland Project is doing just that. Working with the Nevada Museum of Art, the wizards at Holland have put together Teen Art Night, an event which combines youthful energy and creative enthusiasm with the setting of a proper art show.

Besides featuring the art of the young and aspiring, there will be workshops, including one on silk screening, the presentation of the second annual 3-minute film competition. The theme for the Teen Art Night is “Hollywood,” and there will be prizes awarded for best costume and best celebrity lookalike.

There will also be musical performances by Chris Gibson, Planets and Watch It Sparkle. The bands will be performing in the museum’s atrium. Planets is a group from Napa, Calif., that plays very abrasive, complex guitar music. Watch It Sparkle is a similar band from Seattle. They sound kind of like The Horrors with slight Modern Lovers undertones. Chris Gibson performs acoustic blues.

The NMA and Holland Project have collaborated on similar springtime teen-oriented events the last two years.

“From there, the museum took notice to how many kids showed up and were really excited about working with us more,” says Van Pham, the arts and events director of the Holland Project. “Every year so far for the past couple years, we’ve had 300-400 kids come through, it’s a really good way for us to connect with the larger organizations as well as establish more respect within the community, and it gives them a chance to refocus on younger artists who are going to be the up and comers. ”

Without the support of Holland Project and the NMA, many local artists would not have the resources to showcase their work. Both organizations expect the largest turnout yet, and the proceeds will allow events like this to continue and grow.

The NMA also has a teen art council made up of local art students picked through Scholastic Art Fair and local schools. These programs, among others, represent the growing community of youth artists and the increasing attention and support they are receiving.

Tickets are $5 and the event goes from 7 to 10 p.m. on March 26 at the NMA. The student artworks from the Scholastic Art Awards will be on display during the Teen Art Night, so attendees are welcome to check out artwork by local high school and middle school students.

Coincidentally, that same night, there will be the local music showcase/benefit Made in Reno at the Knitting Factory, which includes Holland Project regulars and friends as well. Organizers are hoping people will be able to attend both events that night, and considering the distance between the locations, that shouldn’t be a problem. The Holland Project hopes Teen Art Night and events like it encourage more kids to get involved in the local art community. Holland maintains a youth board which is open to anyone who’s ready to get involved, and they are always excited to see the ever-increasing amount of young adults attending their events.

“There is a certain vivaciousness and excitement that comes along with it by the sheer nature of the young adults gathered there to celebrate the work of their peers,” says Pham, “and that’s what Teen Art Night is all about.”