The Youth Art Exhibit is a community fan favorite. If you haven’t been before, let me paint a picture for you. Floor-to-ceiling art. Every inch of usable wall space is filled with colorful, imaginative and expressive art. Pedestals and tables arranged with sculptures, jewelry, carvings and more. I am not going to lie, it’s a lot of art.
This is an exhibit where you can come back multiple times and see something new each and every time and we are okay with that. We are also OK with filling every usable inch of wall space. Each piece displayed represents one more student that has a moment to shine. There is nothing better than watching a family walk through the doors with their son, daughter, grandchild, niece, or nephew to find their school and then their art. The kids walk a little taller, a little more serious. This, they can now see, is something pretty darn special. Parents and grandparents can get a little emotional, they know this means more to their students than simply having their art on the wall. This is the recognition that they needed. A moment that a student feels seen, validated and proud. Not all kids excel in math, reading, science or sports. So this might be one of the few times that they can stand out from the crowd and share something very special. It is a privilege to be witness to these moments.
While the exhibit highlights the students, we can’t talk about the Youth Art Exhibit without honoring the teachers that literally make all of this possible. They wrangle the students every day, not just one or two students, but 20-plus students an hour, hundreds a week. They make magic to say the very least. In addition to what they do in the classroom, the teachers have the arduous task of narrowing down the art to hang on the gallery walls, which is clearly no easy task. It doesn’t end there, the teachers are the ones that label and hang all of the art (remember when I mentioned floor-to-ceiling art. … yes, the teachers do all of that!) So please give your local art teacher a high five, this is serious dedication.
A few more behind the scenes before I let you go. Once the art is hung from 30 area schools and programs, we will bring in two jurors, or judges, to select artwork to be recognized for awards and scholarships. It’s a big deal. Last year, thanks to local community members and organizations, Crooked Tree awarded more than $1,000 in cash awards and honorable mentions. We are also happy to partner with Kendall College of Art and Design which gave out more than $20,000 in scholarships in 2022. It’s a good day when you can hand a student an award certificate. If you are inspired to donate to this year’s youth art awards please reach out and we are more than happy to help make that happen.
So if you find yourself needing a little boost next month, do yourself a favor and stop by. I can pretty much guarantee that you will leave inspired, hopeful and a little happier. You might even be inclined to dust off some art supplies or pull out a sketchbook. If that’s the case, it’s a win-win in our eyes. We want to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds.
The 2023 Youth Art Exhibit will be open March 7-April 15. See our website for more information including the participating schools from North Ed Services (formerly TBAISD.)