The Tett Gallery’s latest exhibition, Forthcoming, affirms there are creative futures for young artists aspiring to venture into the arts.
The exhibition developed through the program, Creative Futures: Empowering Teen Artists! which encompasses all branches of creativity and allow the teens’ to shape the program itself through their individual interests to shape the program itself.
The initiative is facilitated through a collaborative effort between several art centers in Kingston overseen by Jung-Ah Kim, the program coordinator of the Tett Centre, Maddi Andrews, ArtSci ’19, the executive director of Cultivate Arts Commons, and Charlotte Gagnier, The Journal Volume 141’s photo editor, ArtSci ’16, the public programs and education curator at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.
The Creative Futures program seeks to alleviate the lack of access to arts programs for teenagers by developing a year-long journey that offers opportunities for young artists.
“Many folks who aren’t in those arts streams do not get the professional development side […] which is a lot of what you need to get your foot in the door for your first professional experience outside of school,” Gagnier said in an interview with The Journal. Andrews added that “selling yourself” is a vital skill for aspiring artists hoping to progress in the arts worlds.
From September to May, members of the program learn from artists of all backgrounds to understand how their creative processes interact with the world’s challenges. While artificial intelligence and economic difficulties risk jeopardizing viable careers in the arts, Creative Futures’ organizers argue it’s crucial for teenagers to realize the arts remain an option.
“Amidst all of the uncertainty in the world that we’re seeing, artists are going to become ever more important moving forward […] Climate collapse, economic uncertainty, genocide, it is our creatives that help communicate these messages and find hope and meaning,” Andrews said in an interview with The Journal.
“We’re doing our best to prepare some of these young artists for those future roles where they will be playing such an important part in how our society understands what’s happening around us.” The importance of the program didn’t go unnoticed for the students involved.
“[The program is] a great way to develop my skills while finding a community and also having experiences like this exhibition. This would be my third exhibition, and my first exhibition of beadwork, and I feel like that’s an exceptional and beautiful experience for me,” Hugo Lussier-Meek, a Grade 8 student and young artist, said in an interview with The Journal.
Lussier-Meek is a Michif Beadworker whose art reflects his identity as a member of the Ontarian Métis Diaspora. The exhibit displays several art pieces of his, including a beaded scientific diorama of the Great Orion Nebula, a medallion composed of over seven thousand beads, and an inter-medium piece inspired by Indigenous folk singer William Prince.
During the installation process, the Tett Gallery’s empty canvas transformed into a vibrantly colourful space. Each student explored a different medium and emotion, while taking the time to explain to The Journal what the program means for them.
As part of the installation process, every artist took turns peeling back a large vinyl sticker to reveal letters on the wall that spelt out the name of the exhibition. The program’s young artists, such as Lussier-Meek, chose to title the exhibition: Forthcoming.
“We wanted to make [the exhibition’s title] in a way that represents everybody and doesn’t leave anyone out,” Bella Wallace-Wood, a Grade 12 student and young artist involved in Creative Futures, said in an interview with The Journal.
The exhibit showcases Wallace-Wood’s painted paper-mâché cardboard sculpture,”Woodpine,” inspired by the giant tiger lilies that grow at her grandparents’ home.
One of the exhibition’s core themes is nostalgia. Grade 9 student Lucia Campos experimented with fantasy through the coloured pencil piece, “Dream Realm.” “This one is capturing childlike wonder and the sort of world we all had in our heads when we were kids,” Lucia told The Journal.
Another similar theme is memory. Grade 12 student Aleesha Navid painted, “Ambreen and Paula,” featuring sun flowers and ski hills in memory of her sister’s friend. “Even though it ended so abruptly, all of their memories are still worth something, and it was to make her feel like she was still there,” Navid said.
Although artistic prospects remain uncertain, the directors believe young artists hold the power to defy these challenges through creation.
By offering opportunities such as Creative Futures, they hope to nourish the development of emerging artists to ensure possibilities in the arts remain forthcoming.
Applications for the 2026-27 cohort are open for teens looking to develop their artistic voices, learn how to present their work, and curate a final exhibition in the spring.
Tags
Art, Artists, Gallery, Tett Centre
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