Contemporary Arts Museum Houston’s Teen Council is pleased to organize a group exhibition featuring work by Houston-area teens. This is the 14th iteration of the biennial exhibition and also honors Teen Council’s 25th anniversary year.

Teen Council is seeking works from Houston-area teens on the subject of consumption and its effects on teens, publics, the planet and our selves. This theme examines consumption as the impulse of physical, and digital absorption; as reflective of one’s identity; and responsive to the greater structures of our world: technology, convention, capitalism, exploitation, waste, war, the body, digital/natural landscape, climate emergency and the self. 

Drawing from an open call for submissions, Teen Council will select work that effectively responds to these questions: 

• What is the line between product and person?
• What are you consuming? Is it consuming you?
• When does consumption cross the line between want and need?

All media will be considered, including, but not limited to, 2D, 3D, sound, performance, archival, conceptual, video and new media work. 

Submission Deadline
  Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 11:59 PM CST

Artists with work accepted will receive final notification by January 2025. 

Eligibility
  Applicants must:

1. Must be 13 to 18 years of age.
2. Must attend school in the Greater Houston area.
3. Must submit original artwork.
4. Must upload clear images -up to five images per artwork.
5. Must edit file names for images to this structure.

File Name: Title_YearCreated_Medium/ArtType_ImageNumber.file (EXAMPLE The-Last-of-                  Houston_2022_Collage_1.pdf) 

      6.Must provide explanation of installation requirements especially for sound, video, and conceptual submissions.

If your work is selected please ensure the following:
 

• My submission will be ready to be installed by Monday, April 1, 2025. (You can submit progress shots if your work is in progress or a sketch/mock up of installation.)
• I have reliable transportation to drop off my artwork for installation Monday, April 1, 2025.
• I have reliable transportation to pick up my artwork after uninstallation in July 2025.

If you would like to submit more than one artwork please create separate submissions forms. You can submit an unlimited number of works in response to the questions.  Works not following the requirements will be omitted.

About the Teen Council Biennial

Every other year since 1999, CAMH’s Teen Council organizes an exhibition in the lower level Zilkha Gallery featuring new work by Houston-area teen artists. Teen Council selects the theme, title, and works of the exhibition while partnering with CAMH staff to develop its conceptual framework, exhibition design, and public programming. It is Teen Council’s primary culminating undertaking as much as it is a signature in CAMH’s exhibition seasons.

About CAMH’s Teen Council

Teen Council is a cohort of teens employed by the museum to create programming for their peers. In exchange, Teen Council members receive in-depth, behind-the-scenes insights on museum work; learn about pathways to creative careers; and develop leadership, collaboration, and critical thinking skills while gaining real-world experience planning exhibitions and events in a museum setting. 

The 25th Anniversary cohort of Teen Council includes Mylinh Bui, Chloe Cheuk, Andrew Hernandez, Hemani Koppolu, Bela Kumar,  Isabella Landin, Anjali Martinez, Christopher McCord, Peace Okoh, Mia Ramos, Kerah Roque, Zarah Saffar, Ray Tian, and Sophia Zhao.

For any inquiries about this year’s biennial or about Teen Council, please email Teen Council at tc@camh.org.