My name is Sidney Bartee and I’m on Teen Council at the Old Jail Art Center. I have been a part of the program for four years now, but I’ve been visiting the museum since I was a child.
I was around five years old when Mom first started taking me to Family Festivals and registered me to attend summer art camps. I remember the joy I felt while attending the camps and began to learn about different art types and the history behind them. We still have some of the art projects I made in boxes and on shelves at home!
Once I got to middle school, life became more busy and I couldn’t be around the museum as much. During eighth grade, I met a fellow band member at school who volunteered at the Old Jail and suggested I join her weekly on Teen Council. I started working one hour each week on Wednesday afternoons preparing art supplies and soon felt right back at home after being away for so long. While we would work on projects, someone would always say something to make everyone laugh.
After my sophomore year of high school I graduated to a paid internship in the Education Department. During the last two years I have worked to prepare supplies for Art-to-Go student outreach, helped man booths and activities at quarterly Family Festivals, and since the pandemic started I’ve helped prepare art kits for contact-free pick-up in front of the museum. Though at times the work can be tough, I’ve enjoyed it. I love helping to create the projects that I once loved as a kid for the next generation. By participating in events and Slow Art Day presentations I slowly learned how to come out of my shell and interact more openly with others. Being at the Old Jail has given me some of the best memories from my high school years and surrounded me with good people I can aspire to be like. Being a part of the Teen Council program is something I encourage every student do at some point in their school career!
Sidney Bartee, OJAC Teen Council
