Author Spotlight
Sophia Brockmeier
Senior Annebelle Reda muttered to herself as she sat criss-cross on the floor of her bedroom,
placing 2,000 Swarovski crystals individually on a 1mm-wide line making an intricate grid design on the plastic bodice.
Just one more row.
As one more row turned into two more and then three more, Reda slowly made progress on a white silky dress she was making for the 2023 Nelson-Atkins Teen Fashion Show — run by Reda: a member of the Nelson-Atkins Teen Council.
The Teen Council presents opportunities for teens with similar interests to Reda — those who want to engage in their community through the arts. Reda, the only representative from East, enjoys meeting biweekly at the Nelson, singing karaoke and brainstorming new project ideas with other teens from around the city — something she doesn’t get in a traditional art class at East.
Brent Bellew, Manager, Teen Programs, has been the supervisor for the Teen Council for 11 years and manages logistics behind the council’s events.
“I think the general sentiment is that museums have kind of gone out of fashion,” Bellew said. “The Teen Council gets the expertise of teens to help us figure out what we can do to get teens interested in the museum.”
The Council brainstorms ideas to engage local youth such as the annual Teen Fashion Show —a project started in 2021 by Reda.
“The fashion show was kind of my baby,” Reda said. “When you apply to the council, there’s a list of questions that you fill out. One of them is if you could host any event regardless of budget and time and I had always thought a fashion show would be so so cool.”
The second annual Nelson-Atkins Teen Fashion Show was held on Dec. 3 and showcased nearly 20 local high school designers and models. The prompt each year is to create a dress inspired by a painting currently on exhibit at the Nelson. Each dress is designed and modeled by a local teen — each spending months to create their piece.
A Q&A session is held after the Fashion Show with designers and their models for audience members to learn more about the creative process. Sophomore Mazie Alber has designed in the show for the past two years and began to model this year.
“I was so excited to take initiative in something I was so passionate about because I never really had a chance to actually show off my skills before,” Alber said. “It was a super eye-opening experience to have people come see me and talk about [my dress] and take pictures with it.”
Reda, both involved in the show as a designer and a model, had the opportunity to walk on the runway as well as participate in the planning aspect of the event. She made a white dress inspired by the painting “Iris Carrying the Water of the River Styx to Olympus for the Gods to Swear By” and added thousands of crystals to a plastic bodice.
“I really didn’t feel overwhelmed at all, because I had both sides,” Reda said, “I always knew what was going on. It was just really fun to be able to have my hands in it as much as I got to as a designer and also as someone that’s helping run it.”
In addition to the Fashion Show, the Teen Council organizes a monthly Open Mic Night to allow teens a space to present their artwork — visual or performance based. In the past individuals have written slam poetry, explained their painting or sung karaoke.
“I just love the open mic nights,” Reda said. “It’s really interesting because a lot of council members and their friends come and it’s kind of just like a big silly party for us. There’s usually lots of karaoke.”
The next Open Mic Night will take place in January 2024 — teens don’t have to be in the Teen Council to participate.
“Open Mic Night is great because it’s teens only,” Bellew said. “It’s really meant to be like a private space for teens to say what they want and express themselves. It’s a special place in the museum for teens to go and just kind of be left to their own devices.”
Reda urges others to apply on the Nelson Atkins Museum website in August 2024 when applications for the upcoming year open.
“The Council really is just one of my favorite things in my life right now,” Reda said. “It means the world to me to be able to participate and opens my eyes to so many different, interesting people. I absolutely adore everybody that I’ve been on the Council with.”
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