Growing Up Leelanau: LIFT features narrative portrait exhibit of Leelanau County teens

From staff reports

LIFT Teen Center (LIFT) is excited to announce an upcoming, one-night-only narrative portrait exhibit of local teens, titled “Growing up Leelanau.“

Through nine life-size portraits and first-person narratives, local teens will share the people, places, and experiences that have shaped who they are and what it means to grow up here. On Thursday, Oct. 8, community members are invited to the Old Art Building in Leland for a fundraiser and an elevated art-show experience featuring the portraits and stories, along with drinks, appetizers, and an opportunity to connect with their community from 6-8 pm.

Click here for tickets, which are still available.

“LIFT has always served as a bridge between generations, creating opportunities for young people to connect with and learn from the community around them,” said LIFT founder and executive director Rebekah TenBrink. “’Growing Up Leelanau’ is an exciting opportunity to take that a step further by amplifying the voices and experiences of the teenagers who are growing up here. We’re excited to invite our community to see Leelanau County through their eyes and to create space for meaningful conversations across generations. I think this exhibit will be both eye-opening and inspiring for people throughout our community.

“It is an idea I had when thinking about all the amazing teens we have here in Leelanau County. We live in a beautiful place, but we also know that growing up in today’s society can be challenging. How do you reconcile both realities for a teenager? I wanted to find a way to give our teens a voice so they can share, from their own perspective, what that experience is like. The results have been funny, heartwarming, and enlightening, and we’re excited to share them with the community.”

The nine students are all high schoolers and represent nearly every town and community in Leelanau County. They are diverse in culture, gender, home life, interests and hobbies. Both their portraits and narratives reflect those unique experiences.

Tickets are $50 per person and include drinks, appetizers, and a commemorative booklet featuring the portraits and narratives from the exhibit to take home. However, any Leelanau County student is welcome to attend the event at no cost.

“Growing Up Leelanau” is a project of LIFT Teen Center, Leelanau County’s only free out-of-school-time program for 6th–12th graders. Ticket proceeds support LIFT’s work creating safe, supportive spaces where local teens can build confidence, discover their strengths, and grow into kind leaders.

LIFT also wants to thank their partners who made the project possible: the Old Art Building, National Writers Series of Traverse City, HP Foundation, and Friends of Fine Arts at Suttons Bay Schools.

Click here for more information and to purchase tickets, or call 231-866-1355. To learn more about the LIFT program, visit LiftTeenCenter.com.