The annual Youth Art Month exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) is under way from now until March 31. The Maine Art Education Association partners with the PMA to present artwork created by artists in PK-grade 12. Like every other year this show represents a variety of learning by students from across the state and is a great opportunity to recognize the many art educators behind the work and voices of learner. You won’t want to miss this incredible show.
Fortunately, if you can not travel to Portland for the show, you can view the artwork virtually at THIS LINK. You will find three listings, K-grade 4, grades 5-8, and grades 9-12. Some are included below. Enjoy!
Eliot Gauvin, Untitled 3rd Grade Sharpie and Tempera Great Falls Elementary School Gorham, ME Cumberland County Teacher: Allie Rimkunas
Haddie Bickford, Neurographic Art 6th Grade Mixed Media Waterville Junior High School Waterville, ME Kennebec County Teacher: Jaice Drozd
Shayleigh Mercier, Patches In My Universe 8th Grade Watercolor and Sharpie Lewiston Middle School Lewiston, ME Androscoggin County Teacher: Tracy Ginn
Hannah Keller, The Target Beret 9th Grade Acrylic Morse High School Bath, ME Sagadahoc County Teacher: Constance Panetski
Kassidy Vyas, metánonia 10th Grade Earthenware, Black Underglaze, Clear Glaze Scarborough High School Scarborough, ME Cumberland County Teacher: Lisa Ruhman
March is a wonderful time of year to educate more broadly. Every day visual and performing arts teachers do what they were trained to do – teach! Whether you teach or support arts education in another way, March is an opportunity to advocate for the importance of quality arts education for all. Aren’t we fortunate to have a month designated to advocate for our profession?!
Full Chorus from Catching Fireflies, a book of images by Argy Nestor combined with the poems of Jean Feldeisen. The book, prints, and cards are available at https://sites.google.com/view/anestor/. Permission to use this print is required mearsted@gmail.com.
It is officially Music in Our Schools Month and Youth Art Month, both are designated by the professional arts education organizations in Maine and at the national level. Arts Education Advocacy Day is being held in Augusta at the State House in the Hall of Flags, March 20, 1:00-4:00. All are welcome to attend and join teachers, students, parents, and legislators in advocating for the value of quality arts education for all learners. If you’d like more information about the event please contact Vicky Cherry from Maine Alliance for Arts Education.
If you’re looking for resources to guide you in your advocacy work, how you can plan a local celebration or perhaps collecting information to help you communicate the value of arts education, there are plenty available. Below are a few.
NAEA
The National Art Education Association has been celebrating Youth Art Month since the 1960’s. Check out what NAEA has to offer on the topic. The purpose of YAM is to emphasize the value to children from participating in visual art education.
CFAE
The Council for Art Education provides tons of resources to help you plan. They have ideas on their site that teachers and students are engaged in across the country. The ideas range from school based to community, both large and small. You can sign up for their free newsletter and receive information on a regular basis.
NAfME
The National Association for Music Education has been recognizing Music in Our Schools Month since 1985. The idea started in 1973. You can learn what NAfME has to offer on MIOSM by CLICKING HERE. The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children – and to remind citizens that schools is where all children should have access to music.
Americans for the Arts envisions a country where everyone has access to—and takes part in—high quality and lifelong learning experiences in the arts, both in school and in the community. Their arts education council represents a cross section of the country so all voices are represented. The Americans for the Arts website has a plethora of resources on arts education. Check them out by CLICKING HERE.
ARTS ADVOCACY DAY
Founded in 1973 Maine Alliance for Arts Education has a strong mission: To promote and encourage education in all of the arts for all Maine students.
Registration for the Youth Art Month (YAM) show at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA) has been extended until Monday, February 12th at 8:00am.
In collaboration with the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA), (PMA) is honored to present artwork made by young artists in our communities. Youth Art Month is also an opportunity to highlight the art educators in our schools and the importance of and access to quality art programs. Art educators help to inspire and empower young artists, creating avenues for young artists to express their creativity, find their voice, and cultivate communication skills.
Youth Art Month shines a spotlight on the power of art, especially for youth. We hope that this one-month-long exhibition helps to garner support and advocacy for youth art access all year round.
To learn more and register your student artwork by Monday, February 12, 8AM please CLICK HERE.
Maine Art Education Association andPortland Museum of Art
For almost 30 years, the Portland Museum of Art and the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) have collaborated to bring National Youth Art Month (YAM) to Maine. This annual exhibition showcases the incredible work produced by K-12 students throughout the state, representing a wide variety of youth perspectives and artistic practices in Maine. MAEA member teachers – the dedicated individuals at the forefront of Maine’s quality school art programs – each select one piece of exemplary work from their classrooms to represent the creative efforts of their students and to empower students with a passion and talent for art.
For the first time, YAM is digital, which brings exciting opportunities to share the artwork of Maine’s youth with a wider audience. We hope that the artworks in this exhibition inspire more creativity, spark more conversations, and garner support for more arts education in our schools and in our communities. Art is a powerful, expressive tool through which people of all ages find their voice, their passion, and their power.
The exhibit is always an opportunity to share the pride of what each student experiences making art. The digital exhibition is LIVE and available to be viewed, shared, admired, and all the other things we will do in celebrating the artwork on display throughout Youth Art Month. You can find the exhibition by clicking on this link: https://www.portlandmuseum.org/yam-2021.
Over 80 artworks were submitted to YAM 2021 from students and teachers across the state of Maine. The art on view explores themes around identity, the natural world, home, and portraiture. View the art work by grade levels or in its entirety by clicking below.
Youth Art Month is supported by the Onion Foundation and the Peggy L. Osher Education Endowment at the Portland Museum of Art, with corporate Support from Norway Savings Bank.
Virtual exhibition opens March 1, 2021There are just two days left to register for Youth Art Month 2021. Youth Art Month emphasizes the value of art education and encourages support for quality school art programs through a month-long exhibition of artwork by K-12 students throughout the state. To register your students, please review all the information on our website and contact Meghan Quigley Graham, Learning and Teaching Specialist, with any additional questions. All artists and their families are invited to the Youth Art Month digital celebration on Saturday, March 13.
For almost 30 years, the Portland Museum of Art and the Maine Art Education Association (MAEA) have collaborated to bring National Youth Art Month to Maine. This year marks the first time that Youth Art Month at the PMA will be digital.
This annual exhibition emphasizes the value of art education and encourages support for quality school art programs through a month-long exhibition of artwork by K-12 students throughout the state. The exhibition will begin digitally on March 1, 2021 on the PMA’s website.
The Maine Education Association will once again host the Maine Art Education Association Youth Art Month Student Show at their offices in Augusta. The artwork will be on view from February through November, and will include a celebration on Sunday, March 8, 2020.
There are 30 spots available to MAEA-MEA members that will be filled on first-come basis. Horace-Mann underwrites artwork framing, which is beautifully done. If you would like to participate in this show, email me at lisa.ingraham@msad59.org.
If you have a piece of student artwork in the current show, please pick it up at or before the November MAEA Board meeting on November 14, 2019. You may also drop off a piece of your own artwork to hang until the new student work goes up in February.
Recently, the 97 students at Sebago Elementary School returned to school with parents and friends to enjoy an evening of arts festivities and entertainment. The entire school building was filled with colorful visual artwork created by children in Kindergarten through Grade 5. The students were clearly excited to show off their masterpieces. There were musical performances provided by the Chorus, the Grades 4 and 5 Bands, and for the first time, the newly formed Ukulele Club. The music added atmosphere for those lost in the beauty and imaginative visual displays around them.
This culminating event was a celebration of Youth Art Month and Music-in-Our Schools-Month, which had been honored throughout March across our Nation. Music students sported buttons that read, “All Music, All People.” The Fine Arts teachers wanted to highlight how important the arts are for students in their overall education.
Visitors at the event had the opportunity to explore the work of 4 demonstrating artists. The lovely stained glass work of Nancy Fitch and Kayla Olsen brought a lot of attention. Nancy also led inquisitive children through the creative process. Painter Richard Allen gave students the chance to create work with him, and printer Sarah Parrott afforded people the opportunity to operate her printing press and create some cards.
Amidst all of this, there was face painting, which was a huge hit with young and old alike, and mug decorating, which turned out to be the run away favorite indulgence of the night. It was truly a wonderful evening, and people are already asking if it will become an annual event for this newly formed school district!
Thank you to music educator Jenni Null for providing the information for this blog post and for including the photographs. It is obvious that the evening was a wonderful opportunity for the community to celebrate the value of arts education!
Art in the Heart of Maine annually partners with the University of Maine Museum of Art, the Maine Art Education Association and the Bangor Mall to exhibit artwork created by students from the greater Bangor area. This 3 week exhibit celebrates Youth Art Month and allows art educators to show off the magnificent work their students are producing. One of my favorite outcomes of this exhibit entails garnering inspiration from my fellow educators for lesson ideas to bring back to my own classroom. Our show opened on Sunday, March 3rd and will close Saturday, March 23rd. The following educators and schools participated in the 2019 Mall Show.
Angeli Perrow – George B. Weatherbee School
Michael Vermette – Indian Island School
Mary-Ann Hennessy-Ashe – Smith Elementary and Wagner Middle Schools
Wendy Libby – Fruit Street School
Heidi Crahen – Abraham Lincoln and Mary Snow Schools
Ashley Curtis – Dr. Lewis S. Libby and Veazie Community Schools
Katrina Lajoie – William S. Cohen School
Jenna Caler – Fairmount Elementary and Fourteenth Street Schools
Lindsay Hartwell – Glenburn Academy
Julie Anthony – Orono Middle School
Rachel Case – Hermon Elementary and Middle Schools
Marion MacEwen – Brewer High School
Jessica Barnes – Orono High School
Margaret Jones – Miles Lane/Jewett Schools
Helen Allen-Weldon – Holden Elementary and Eddington Elementary Schools
Jenn Mishou – Alternative Education, Bangor
Lori Spruce – Brewer High School
Holly Leighton – Mattanawcook Academy
Sarah Moon – Dedham Elementary
Sasha Bladen – Penquis Valley
Eva Wagner – Bangor High School
Diane D’Amour – Bangor High School
Terry Thibodeau – Carmel Elementary, Suzanne Smith Elementary and Caravel Middle Schools
For many years the Aroostook County art teachers, all part of the Northern pARTners, have collaborated for a Youth Art Month celebration. This year is not different – they have put together an exhibit at the Aroostook County Mall. The artists’ reception was on March 8 and the room was packed. Thank you to the Aroostook County Art Teachers for your commitment to this annual art show and the good work you do everyday across The County!
The exhibition in Aroostook County Mall runs from March 1 through March 31, 2019.
Who participates in the Northern pARTners?
Jane Hutchison – Easton Schools, Kindergarten to High School
Beth Cummings – MSAD #45/Washburn, Elementary
Ellyn Whitten-Smith – MSAD #1/Presque Isle High School
Julie Nadeau – MSAD #1/Presque Isle Middle School
Lena Tingley – RSU #39/Caribou Elementary and Middle
Jessica Goodwin – Caribou High School
Ruth McAtee – MSAD #1/Presque Isle Elementary
Stacy Ramsey – MSAD #70/Hodgdon, Kindergarten to High School
Susan Beaulier – MSAD #32/Ashland, Kindergarten to High School
Wanda Jackins – MSAD #42/Mars Hill, Pre K to High School
Anderson, B. Brissette, J. Sandstrom, K. Davenport – Caswell Elementary
Sarah Love- EUT/Connor
Joanna Doughty- MSAD #20/Fort Fairfield
Jessica Goodwin-RSU #39/Limestone
Classroom elementary and middle school teachers – Union 122/Woodland Consolidated
Is the student artwork from particular schools or grades?
There is a large assortment of artwork that range from Pre Kindergarten to 12th Grade. There are approximately 300 to 350 students who participated in displaying their work.
Exhibit March 8th to March 30; where is it?
Aroostook Centre Mall – 830 Main St, Presque Isle, ME 04769.
Across the Label Shopper store inside the mall
How was artwork chosen?
The teachers’ selected the best works from their classes.
Where and what time can people view the exhibit?
Monday to Saturday’s: open 10 am – 8 pm, Sunday: 11 am – 5 pm
Where was the March 8 reception?
The reception was at the mall. Each school invites the artist and their family to celebrate their success.
Tonight at PMA – Celebrating Maine’s Community of Young Artists
Portland, Maine, March 2019– Creative works from Maine art students will be on display during the month of March at the Portland Museum of Art (PMA). This multi-media exhibition, sponsored by Maine Art Education Association (MAEA), highlights Youth Art Month, a national celebration sponsored by the Council for Art Education. The annual celebration, which typically takes place in March, emphasizes the value of art education for all children and encourages support for quality art programs in Maine schools. This event marks 25 years of collaboration between the Portland Museum of Art and the Maine Art Education Association to celebrate student creativity from pre-kindergarten-12th grade.
Guest speakers for the event include representatives from the Portland Museum of Art and honorees as named by the Maine Art Education Association. This year’s MAEA Award for Excellence in Art Advocacy recognizes Waterfall Arts for long-standing support of arts education and youth creativity. Teacher Holly Houston from Yarmouth High School will be speaking as MAEA’s 2019 Art Educator of the Year.
The exhibition runs from March 1, 2019, through April 1, 2019 on the Lower Ground Floor of the PMA.The celebratory opening reception is Saturday, March 2 from 4:00pm to 7:30pm. Presentation of certificates will start with pre-kindergarten to third grade at 4:30pm, fourth to seventh grade at 5:30pm, and finally, eighth to twelfth grade at 6:30pm.
Please consider scheduling your arrival to allow time to enjoy the exhibition and the museum’s collection. The galleries close at 6 p.m.Admission to the Youth Art Month exhibition is free the day of the opening for Youth Art Month participants, their families, and teachers. Children 14 years and under are always free at the PMA..
Argy Nestor
Arts Educator, Blogger, Artist, Connector meartsed@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/view/anestor/
Argy’s Blog
The purpose of this blog is to share stories about people and places; and to celebrate the amazing work (and play) that students, educators, and organizations are doing in and for arts education. In addition, the blog has a plethora of resources and innovative ideas. This forum gives blog readers the opportunity to learn from each other. It is essential that we listen, learn, and collaborate in order to build on teaching practices for the benefit of every learner in Maine and beyond.
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