Pelham Art Center is pleased to announce RELICS: Ancient to Modern, a Teen Artist Council-led and teen-curated exhibition on view from May 7 through May 31. The exhibition will open with a public artist talk on Thursday, May 7th from 6 to 8 PM and our opening reception on Saturday, May 9th, from 12 to 2 PM. These events will be free and open to the public, with no registration required.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 4 PM.

Now in its fourth year, the Teen Artist Council Curated Exhibition highlights the creativity and leadership of the Art Center’s Teen Artist Council. The council is a collective of high school students passionate about the arts who collaborate to develop the exhibition theme, organize the open call, and curate the final show. The program is led by Gallery and Teen Programming Coordinator Fiona Agababian, who facilitates monthly meetings guiding students through all aspects of exhibition planning.

“It has been fascinating to give the teens the creative freedom to lead an exhibition and take on leadership roles within a gallery setting,” said Agababian. “Working with people of all ages and backgrounds has allowed me to see different perspectives, which is essential when planning art exhibitions.”

RELICS: Ancient to Modern explores the concept of relics through both personal and historical perspectives. Interpreted both literally and figuratively, the exhibition examines how personal memories, cultural legacies, and defining moments continue to shape the present. Featuring a wide range of artistic mediums, the show offers a thoughtful reflection on the enduring impact of history and lived experience.

Brigitta Tedeschi, past PAC intern, Teen Artist Council member, and high school senior at The Ursuline School, said, “It’s inspiring to be part of such an inclusive community. In creating this theme, we discussed the concept of childhood and spoke about personal ‘relics’ that carry profound meanings in our lives. We all had different items, ideas and memories, and that is the most beautiful part.”

“Curating artists of all levels, ages, and backgrounds into a single exhibition is a brilliant idea,” said Nancy Mazzei. “The fact that our Teen Artist Council conceived this concept speaks volumes about both the strength of the council and the depth of its thinking. I’m especially looking forward to the upcoming artist talk, where the diversity of perspectives and exchange of ideas promise to be truly compelling.”

The exhibition includes artists from across the United States and internationally, with participants from Pakistan, Washington, Colorado, Texas, and the greater New York and Westchester areas. Contributing artists include:

Tom Acevedo, Henry Wyatt Zeder Allaire, Elizabeth Borgatti, Alexandra Rutsch Brock, Betsy Bush, Doug Caine, Celina Azevedo, Andy DeLapp, Mike Depasquale, Teresa Dunn, Viktoria Gibbon, Michael Girimonti, Takashi Harada, Aneeka Khan, Valeri Larko, Finch Le, Naveen Leon-Kelly, Jin Sook Lee, Elizabeth Livingston, Maizianne, Chris Martinez, Mia Mendoza, Zaire Miles-Moultrie, Dana Montlack, Kristin Moore-Gantz, Olivia (aka Orchid) Morgado, Ariya Mukherjee-Gandhi, Shannon O’Deens, Sienna Perez, Francena Poyo-Ottley, Ari Rueda, Ellen Z. Salov, Hagar Sand, Amy Shaw, Xin Shaw, Inez Sieben, Jen Silvester, James Stamboni, Eileen Stodut, Elisa Strauss, Brigitta Tedeschi, Joel E. Trieger, Robert Veselis, Sylvia Vigliani, Tara Weishaupl, Shannon Ava Whitney, Ziren Violet Yin, Avital Zemel, and Win Zibeon.

Editor’s note: This press release was provided by the Pelham Art Center. The Pelham Examiner publishes press releases in the form received as a service to the community.