We empower Sussex County students to become the Artists of Tomorrow.
Sussex County Teen Arts Festival celebrates the diverse artistic talents of our students and schools.
The Sussex County Teen Arts Festival is an ongoing arts-in-education program for 53 years that involves community members from the educational, artistic, corporate, private, and government sectors in promoting appreciation of the arts among teenage students. It is a member of a New Jersey statewide Teen Arts network, and is annually hosted at Sussex County Community College in March.
Since its inception in 1969, our goal has been to encourage middle and high school students to explore their potential and fine-tune their talents in the fine arts, literary, and performing arts including vocal music, instrumental music, dance, and theater.
It is our belief that the arts are crucial to education because they teach and demonstrate creative and independent thinking. It is imperative to provide students with opportunities to explore their own creative vision and to develop "tools of thought" with which to meaningfully contribute to today's complex world.
Each year over 600 piece of work and over 100 performances are exhibited by students, and then reviewed by industry professionals.
This critique process by professional artists is an integral component of the Festival. Teen artists are given the opportunity to exhibit, publish, or perform before a variety of audiences and professionals. We encourage teenagers today to become the adults of tomorrow who will sustain the arts as either artists and/or patrons of the arts. They will be productive and creative employees and entrepreneurs.
Our Festival:
Art, Poetry, Performance, Critiques, Workshops, and Community.
Teen Arts Submission Categories
Visual Arts
Two-dimensional art, including drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and mixed media.
Literary Arts
Original written works, including poetry, song lyrics, prose, short essay or excerpts.
Performance Arts
Dance, music, theater, and filmmaking, including vocals, instrumentals, musicals, comedy, and drama.
Our Partners
Funding has been made available in part by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, through the State/County Partnership Block Grant Program, administered by the Sussex County Arts and Heritage Council.
Get Involved!
Be A Volunteer
Teen Arts needs volunteers to inspire, guide, teach, and help students get the most out of each festival. Contact the Teen Arts Coordinator if you can recommend an artist, teach a workshop, or want to get involved setting up and striking down the festival exhibits. Student volunteers are welcomed who need to earn service hours.
Make A Donation
Keeping the arts alive is crucial for the future of our community, and the world at large. Teen Arts is seated at the heart of our young creative community here in Sussex County. Students and teachers say their students look forward to Teen Arts every year, and the festival can only happen with financial support from people like you.