The Atlantic County Teen Arts Festival is an event that D0wntown Hammonton has hosted for the past few years, inviting schools from all districts to come and submit their students art work or in another expression their masterpieces.

On Friday, May 6, Downtown Hammonton was filled with students and art, everyone seem to be enjoying everything, but the weather. However, even the steady rain wasn’t enough to put a damper of this celebration of the arts. This event offered so much more than admiring art. It gave students the opportunity to talk to other students and get new ideas for new art projects. Art is how people can express themselves and teen arts is the place where high school students can display and express.

Mr. Toothman, one of the Hammonton High School art teachers reflected on the importance of Teen Arts.

“It is the only [public] event held for high school students to display their art and can be appreciated by other students and teachers and even just people walking by,” he said.

Senior Jaeda Cooper had several of her pieces displayed. She mentioned quite a few times that is was such an awesome experience to see her work displayed not only in school and her house but also at Kramer Hall which is a part of Stockton.

“It is really cool seeing not only my work, but other students and just not from Hammonton,” she explained. “Some of their work is nothing like we do so now I have ideas of my own,” she said.

One example of this was a project that art classes at Oakcrest High School did. One of their students, named Rachel, explained how how, using canvas and watercolor, her classused signs from American Sign Language to spell the word PEACE.

According to website for Atlantic County (www.aclink.org), Teen Arts is part of a statewide multidisciplinary program in the fine and performing arts. The Atlantic County Festival is coordinated by the Atlantic County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs in collaboration with Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, the Noyes Museum/Stockton, Hammonton Art Center, The Eagle Theatre, Hammonton Arts District and other arts and educational organizations.