Students throughout the Abilene ISD showed off their artistic side by participating in Youth Art Month (YAM), a 60-year-old celebration of the visual arts.
Started in 1961 by the Council for Art Education, Youth Art Month is now promoted and encouraged by The Texas Art Education Association (TAEA). Hundreds of schools across the state celebrate art during the month with various programs, including the Texas YAM flag design contest, exhibitions including a juried exhibit of more than 100 pieces of student artwork at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, and in various Big Art Day celebrations and events.
Locally, Youth Art Month is celebrated in large part with a student art exhibition held at The Grace Museum. Exhibited from Feb. 16-March 16, the Youth Art Month exhibition featured 1156 works of art by elementary, middle school, and high school students from all over Region 14. All the artwork was showcased at the Grace Museum in the second-floor galleries with 1375 people attending the opening! Students whose work is in the YAM exhibition receive a pass for their family to visit the museum at no charge for the duration of the exhibition. This year, 241 families across the region used the passes to visit the museum.
The Abilene ISD added sixth-grade art as an elective choice this year, meaning that every grade level in the district (K-12) was represented at The Grace Museum YAM show this year. In addition, every campus that offers traditional art courses in the district was represented in the show. “We are so thankful that the Grace Museum recognizes the importance of the visual arts in life and education,” said AISD Fine Arts Coordinator Brady Sloane, “and we are proud to have twenty campuses represented in the show.”
Part of Youth Art Month was the celebration of Big Art Day throughout the state, which the AISD also participated in on March 2 with various projects throughout the district.
AISD Student Artists Demonstrate Mastery
AP Art students from both Abilene High and Cooper High participated in the Abilene Education Foundation’s beloved program titled Young Masters. The program begins with a kickoff event, and hosts three workshops in the fall where professional artists give students insight into new techniques and mediums. From there, students create work to be entered into a juried art competition and exhibition. The juried art competition offers every Advanced Placement (AP) Studio Art student in Abilene ISD an opportunity to have artwork selected for a museum exhibition and to compete for valuable college scholarships. The exhibition is a collaborative effort by AEF, Abilene ISD, and The Grace Museum.
This year, students attended the following workshops: Collage with Mary K. Huff, Solarplate etching with Colette Copeland (process combines photography, design, and printmaking.), and oil clay sculpting with Steve Neves.
Congratulations to all of the AISD art students and teachers who participated in this program, were juried into the exhibition, and received awards! Check out the gallery of works from the Young Masters event below.
