A review for Youth Art Month

March is Youth Art Month, and in honor of this I am reviewing a number of titles about art, artists, and art history. Today I have a review of a book that quite frankly blew me away. This is one of those picture books that will resonate with adults as well as children. I recently started drawing with pen and ink and am now adding color to my pictures, so I found this book particularly pertinent to my art journey.

I am an artist

Pat Lowery Collins

Illustrated by Robin Brickman

Picture Book

Ages 6 and up

Lerner, 1992, 978-1-56294-729-3

    Some people think that an artist is simply someone who can paint, or draw, or sculpt; that an artist is someone who creates. This is true of course, but an artist is also someone who sees the little things that many of us miss. An artist sees the big picture when the rest of us are too busy to notice what is going on around us. An artist is someone who can imagine and think outside the box.

   In this gorgeous and thought provoking book the author’s simple lyrical words and the illustrator’s beautiful illustrations combine to show readers of all ages that being an artist is about observing, exploring, using your imagination, and letting yourself enjoy each moment to the fullest. In a world where so much emphasis is placed on finishing a project, this book embraces the whole art making experience, highlighting the fact that being an artist is not just about the doing, but it is also about experiencing the doing.

Please consider purchasing this book through this blog to help support our work. You can do this by using the Amazon box to the left of this post.

A review for Women's History Month and Youth Art Month

I found this book on my shelf this week and thought it would be a perfect fit both for Women's History Month and Youth Art Month. Enjoy!

Mary Cassatt: Impressionist Painter

Lois V. Harris

Nonfiction Picture Book

Ages 6 to 8

Pelican, 2007, 978-1-589-804-524

   When Mary Cassatt was still a young girl, she very much wanted to be a painter. Her parents, wanting to encourage their artistically inclined daughter, arranged for Mary to have art lessons. Little did they realize that their daughter intended to make a career for herself as a painter. At this time, in the 1800’s, very few women were professional artists, and Mary had to be very persuasive to get her parents to let her go to art school.

   After attending art school in Philadelphia for two years, Mary began to pester her parents to let her go to Europe to continue her studies. Her father was against the idea, but Mary’s mother thought that Mary should be allowed to go, and Mary was able to travel around France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium studying the works of the old masters.

   Back in Paris, one of Mary’s paintings was chosen to be shown at the Salon, a very prestigious art show. The career she had dreamed about was beginning at last.

   This beautifully presented picture book not only tells the story of Mary Cassatt’s life, but it also shows young readers how Mary was influenced by the French painters that she met. Readers will discover how Mary came to love the impressionist style of painting, and how she developed a style that bridged the old styles of painting and the new. Throughout the book, there are reproductions of art works that were created by Mary Cassatt and her contemporaries. 

March is Youth Art Month

I am ashamed to say that I only just found out that March is Youth Art Month in the USA. I would have done a special feature on this special event much sooner if I had known about it. Sometimes trying to keep track of dozens of things at once does not always work, and I have to play catch up every so often. So, what is Youth Art Month anyway?

Youth Art Month was founded by the Crayon, Water Color & Craft Institute, Inc., the predecessor of the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI), in cooperation with the National Art Education Association, in 1961 and was initially called Children's Art Month. Its goal was to "emphasize the value of participating in art for all children." It was renamed Youth Art Month in 1969, to include secondary school students. In 1984, ACMI created the Council for Art Education, Inc. (CFAE) to oversee the annual observation of Youth Art Month. As of 2009, CFAE consisted of representatives of: ACMI, the National Art Education Association, "The SHIP" (a group of manufacturers of art materials), and the General Federation of Women's Clubs. The Craft & Hobby Association is also involved in Youth Art Month.

The main nation-wide component of Youth Art Month is a competition called School Flags Across America . . . Flying High. As part of the competition, each state Youth Art Month Chairperson selects a theme that is representative of that state and of the spirit of Youth Art Month, and students design flags around that theme. The winning design from each state is then made into an actual flag, and the 50 student-designed flags are then displayed throughout Washington, D.C. following an opening ceremony held the first week of March to commemorate the start of Youth Art Month. The winning students and their families are invited to attend this opening ceremony in Washington, D.C. and the flags are displayed throughout the city for March, and then displayed at the Youth Art Month booth at the annual convention of the National Art Education Association.

Governors and mayors throughout the United States issue proclamations declaring March as Youth Art Month, and many United States Senators, Member of Congress, andstate legislators take the opportunity to make public statements in favor of art education.

Observation of Youth Art Month is carried out by volunteers around the country, including art educators, parents, librarians, leaders of youth organizations, businesspeople, and students.

Activities depend on the efforts of local volunteers, and include:

• display of student art at art museums, libraries, and other places throughout the community;
• talks, forums, and discussions on art;
• partnerships with local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations to raise the profile of youth art and art education in the community;
• local art competitions, often with winning student art displayed somewhere prominent in the community (e.g. at local bus stops);
• cross-promotions to raise awareness of other local charities or to beautify the community;
• special events, such as sidewalk chalk displays, ice sculpture carving, and craft workshops.

For more information take a look at this booklet from the Council for Art Education.