Playing games, directing Snapchat stories, crafting with kids, snacking, and spending quality time with friends—sound like fun? It’s all a part of the job.

The Minneapolis Institute of Art’s teen council, Art Team, is comprised of about a dozen high school students who meet weekly on Thursdays and help staff events at the museum.

No Thursday is ever the same. Max Folina, junior at South High School, describes the weekly team meetings: “Each week is different from the next, sometimes involving deep discussions on current events, sometimes consisting of a hangout session with food.”

As a member of Art Team, I can attest to that. One week we’ll be in the studios planning our next event, and the following we’ll be playing games in the galleries.

When we’re not planning events or playing games, we’re staffing events at the Museum. Fatima Rahman, junior at Mounds View High School, explains, “When I worked there, we helped out with Family Day and planning events like ‘Rated T’ or helping out in general with other events.”

Some of the events we staff includes Family Day, which occurs every second Sunday of the month; Rated T events, which happen 2-3 times a year; and Third Thursdays, which are every third Thursday of the month.

Family Days allow children and their families to take over the museum and spend the day crafting and getting to know the Mia. These days are jam-packed with art-making activities, hands-on stations, and shows put on by various artists, dancers, and musicians. Folina also adds that during Family Days, Art Team’s job is to “help families and friends make art and enjoy the space around them.”

Rated T events are made by teens for teens. Art Team organizes and plans these party-esque events where people can make art, play games, and meet new people all while snacking and getting to know the museum.

Third Thursdays are like Family Days, but for adults. The studios are full of crafts that can range from button-making to creating activist posters. Instead of lasting all day, Third Thursdays take place towards the night.

According to Folina, the best part about working there is that “[…] it’s such a supportive and forgiving space. A lot of times school can be a high-pressure scenario, and just being able to come to work and relax and be yourself is exciting.”

High school can be a little scary at times—drama, deadlines, and the constant pressure to do well make it a huge stressor for most teens. It gets difficult to juggle school, extracurriculars, and a social life all at once, so having a place to relax and have fun makes each week better. 

Not only is the Mia a supportive space, but it truly has the ability to shape a person. Destiny Bliges, senior at Perpich Center For Arts Education, says, “I have had the opportunity to work with my two favorite things: art and people. Being constantly surrounded by the history that The Mia processes, and the amazing people who find a home with this community has inspired me beyond belief. If it wasn’t for this job, I don’t think I’d be half the person I am today.”

Working with high schoolers may seem difficult, but Katie Wildfong, the woman who runs it all, may disagree. She says the most difficult part of working with the team is that “they are a million times smarter than me. I have so much to learn from them. It’s difficult but it’s also really humbling and amazing.”

Not only does Art Team have fun, they also receive amazing opportunities. Wildfong says, “[It gives] exposure to the museum’s inner-workings. These are things that the general public does not typically get to see, from exploring the conservation lab to discovering the multitude of careers in the museum world to learning the stories behind how works of art are purchased, displayed, and represented to the public.”

Unfortunately, you can’t work on Art Team forever. The position is only available to teens ages 14-18 who are enrolled in high school. Bliges says, “When the day comes that I move away, I will miss this atmosphere the most. The families, the coffee, the art, and most of all, my wonderful coworkers.”

While I have only been working at the museum for a few months, it has changed my life for the better. Besides learning more about the galleries, I also have created new connections, uncovered more about myself, and found another home. I will forever be grateful for the people I have met at the museum.

Art Team is not just some job or a teen council—it’s a creative, loving, and all-around goofy family.