The annual exhibition highlights paintings, drawings, photography, ceramics, prints, animation, and multimedia work by young artists participating in Hyde Park Art Center’s Teen programs. Each year, Teen programs provide a structured independence that encourages young artists to develop their creative voices, learn new skills, and build relationships in the context of a community art center, where artists of all ages and backgrounds do the same. The exhibition is a testament to these young artists’ evolution and dedication. They have taken on the challenge of expressing perplexed thoughts, feelings, and emotions into individual works of art. 

In times of overwhelming political and economic uncertainty, art remains a means of escape and self-expression. Time spent making art in community has become more sacred than ever, and these works show our teen cohort discovering their ability to connect with and respond to the world around them, even when that world is hostile and confusing. As a snapshot of their development as people and as artists, So, What Now? offers a glimpse into the future that can be created by a new generation. 

So, What Now? is a collective assessment of a young person’s place within this world, and where they might go from here. What paths are open to them? What paths are they able to create for themselves and one another? Just as these teens approach the beginning of their artistic journeys, they are warned that the world might fall apart around them. So, what now? 

Throughout the program, teens cultivate their creative voices under the guidance of professional artists. This year’s exhibition title and theme emerged through a brainstorming session with the 2025 program’s teaching artists, Vashanta Simms and Cassidy Bennett of Youth Board, Grace Gittelman and Lyric Newbern of Artists Teen Ceramics, Brandon Towns of Digital Illustration and Animation, Rhonda Wheatley of Epstein Advanced Teen Track, Jonathan Castillo and Kaitlyn Krueger of Middle School Photo, Daniel Hud and Vashanta Simms of High School Photo, and Brian Sykes and Marlon King of Music PROduction with ISPRO. This exhibition could not have happened without these instructors’ dedication and care. 

So, What Now? is curated by Jules DiGregorio, Exhibitions and Residency Intern, with support from Harley Reid, Teen Programs Coordinator, and Tran Tran, Exhibitions & Residency Manager. 

Dates: June 21 – September 28, 2025

Location: Gallery 5