On Wednesday, April 17th, Commissioner Director Jeff Kuhl, along with Deputy Director Susan Soloway, and Commissioner Zach Rich, attended the 2024 Teen Arts Festival, held at the Route 12 Complex, in Flemington. Commissioner Director Kuhl enjoyed many of the performances and shared, “It is great to see the return of the Hunterdon County Teen Arts Festival this year. The Cultural & Heritage Commission, led by Natalie Zaman, should be commended for a job well done! A lot of hard work and extensive planning went into making this event a big success. This Board recognizes the importance of the performing arts and the power it has to unify people and inspire creativity. Events like this are a great way to celebrate the many talented young people in our community.”
The Hunterdon County Teen Arts Festival is coordinated through a partnership between the Cultural & Heritage Commission, the Hunterdon County Library, along with county schools and local non-profit organizations. The event is open to all 13- to 19-year-old students that attend school in Hunterdon County. This event provides a forum for students to showcase their talents through exhibitions of visual arts, theatrical presentations, dance, vocal and instrumental music performances, as well as presentations of original film and creative writing.
Students experience the work of their peers and receive constructive feedback from professional artists. Cultural & Heritage Commission, Executive Director, Natalie Zaman organized the event and stated, “The Cultural & Heritage Commission is thrilled to bring back the Hunterdon County Teen Arts Festival! This arts education event is about nurturing creativity and critical thinking, cultivating empathy, and empowering the next generation to express themselves with confidence. It was wonderful to see our school communities come together, and students cheering each other on at every performance. These kinds of programs, that give young people opportunities to exhibit, perform, learn and be curious, are an important part of our work. We’re looking forward to growing this initiative for our incredibly talented students and their amazing teachers.”
Approximately 550 students from eight Hunterdon County Schools participated in this year’s Teen Arts Festival. The guests in attendance numbered over 100, in addition to many teachers, volunteers and residents that joined in the festivities of the day.