Youth Art Month kicked off in Bloomington with the opening of the Monroe County Community School Corporation’s K-6 art exhibit on Saturday at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art.
Bloomington’s National Art Education Association organized the annual Youth Art Month. The Council for Art Education has managed national Youth Art Month every March since 1984.
Jean Graves, chair of education at the Eskenazi Museum of Art said the museum’s involvement in the event began under her predecessor Edward Maxedon. She doesn’t know exactly when they began hosting the event but it's been over a decade she believes.
According to the National Art Education Association website, the program aims to recognize art skills in youth, support quality school art programs and promote art material safety. The theme for Art Month this year was “healing through color.”
“It is important to recognize children’s artistic expressions,” Graves said. “It encourages future artists, but also helps young people develop the confidence to reach for whatever goals they may have.”
The opening ceremony Saturday included remarks from Interim Museum Director Mariah Keller, a group photo of the students and an open house where attendees could roam and look at the artwork on display. Daniel Maxson, a sixth grader at Grandview Elementary School, is one of many students whose work is on display at the exhibit. Maxson said that while he enjoyed admiring art, what he enjoyed most was the process of making it.
“It certainly feels astonishing because I wouldn’t expect it (the exhibit) to be in an actual gallery,” Maxson said.
This was many of the childrens’ first time having their artwork displayed in an art show, which was very exciting for many of them. The displays included a variety of different paintings and drawings.
“I think it’s a really good experience for them just to be able to see what it’s like to have their art exhibited in a real museum,” Eric Weingarten, father of one of the students, said.
Weingarten said getting involved in art early on could help children learn to express themselves in meaningful ways, the same way an author might express themselves through words.
Kelly Murphy, art teacher at Summit Elementary School, said giving children a space to create art at school was important because it could open up their minds to creativity and self-discovery.
“I just think that there’s a real lack of avenue for creativity and sort of using your mind to come up with your own things,” Murphy said. “It’s like there’s nothing original anymore and I think sometimes that’s the way the kids feel.”
Murphy said art is in every part of peoples’ lives. Art can be found in anything from buildings to signs on the wall, from clothing to vehicles. Murphy said anything can be designed to be beautiful.
“I mean, art is the world, so without it, it’s not a beautiful place,” Murphy said. “I just don’t think kids realize that art touches everything, and so once they start to realize, ‘Oh wait, that is art,’ I think that’s a really exciting moment for them.”
The opening event Saturday was bustling with children excited to show their friends and family their artwork. Many children were excitedly posing for pictures in front of their works.
“It’s uplifting for anyone, young or old to see children and children’s art in museums,” Graves said. “It brings energy at a time of the year that can be otherwise dreary.”
The Youth Art Month exhibit will be open for viewing throughout the month of March and is free to visit.
“I mean it’s just so much fun, there’s such a variety of art and every kid brought a little something different to the table and they just had so much fun with it,” Weingarten said.
