Huntsville, Ala – Marking its 27th year, the Huntsville Museum of Art will proudly present YAM 2014: Exhibition for Youth Art Month on Sunday, March 9, through April 13. Mayor Tommy Battle, Congressman Mo Brooks, and Diana Green and Becky Quinn of the Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) will join Museum officials at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 9, for an opening celebration.
The exhibit will showcase nearly 200 creative works of art by youth in kindergarten through grade 12. Schools from the following areas will be represented: Huntsville City, Madison City, Madison County, Athens City, Limestone County, Decatur City, and Scottsboro City. Open from 1 to 4 p.m., the Museum will waive its admission on March 9.
In addition to the students’ works in the galleries, the Museum will also present 17 Blue Ribbon Finalists’ artworks from the Visual Arts Achievement (VAA) Program. The Huntsville Museum of Art is the local VAA District V sponsor for the ASCA program. The selected VAA works by middle and high school students will be on view from March 9−13 in the Museum Great Hall. The art will then be sent to Montgomery to be displayed alongside other regional winners’ pieces in the Artist’s Gallery at ASCA.
“Visitors to the museum will be overwhelmed by the fine artistic talents of the youth in North Alabama,” Christopher J. Madkour, Museum Executive Director, said. “This exhibit is a major reminder of the value of arts education for children and teenagers.”
On view in the Salmon Gallery from March 9−April 13 will also be the winning artwork of one high school student chosen from Congressman Mo Brooks’ Fifth District. Afterwards, it will be sent to Washington D.C. for a year-long display at the U.S. Capitol.
Museum Board President John Wynn, along with the Museum’s board of directors, will host a reception for visitors from 1:30-3:30 p.m. During this time, visitors may also enjoy artist demonstrations by several Museum Academy instructors including Robert Bean, S. Renee Prasil, Ann Moeller Steverson and Linda Ruhl.
At 2 p.m. in its Great Hall, the Museum will present the awards for VAA Blue Ribbon Finalists and the Congressional Art Competition winner.
Major local support for the exhibition was provided by TOYOTA Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc., The Daniel Foundation and The Mark C. Smith Exhibition Endowment. Additional support was provided by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Alabama Alliance for Arts Education, Colonial Graphics Group and The Women’s Guild of the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Youth Art Month is observed nationally each March to emphasize the value of art education for children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. The program is endorsed by The National Art Education Association, Alabama Art Education Association, Alabama State Department of Education, Alabama Alliance for Arts Education, and locally by the Huntsville-Madison County Art Education Association.
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