March Is Youth Art Month.

What is Youth Art Month?

Youth Art Month (YAM) is an annual, month-long observance to emphasize the value of art education and to encourage public support for quality school art programs.

To help promote observances, The Council for Art Education, in cooperation with the National Art Education Association, coordinates Youth Art Month activities at the national, state, and local levels. One example is "School Flags ... Flying High." A design is selected from each state and made into a flag. The student designers are honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC in front of families, friends, teachers, and U.S. legislators. The flags are flown in the Nation's capitol throughout the month of March.

State governors are expected to issue the following proclamation: (If they don't, keep that in mind at election time!)

"WHEREAS art education contributes powerful educational benefits to all elementary and secondary students including the following: creative problem solving; critical-thinking abilities; sensitivity to beauty, order, and other expressive qualities; deeper understanding of multicultural values and beliefs; generalized interdisciplinary knowledge; and specific knowledge of art production, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics; and WHEREAS these benefits of art education form the basis of world-class national standards, and WHEREAS our national leaders have acknowledged the necessity of including visual arts experiences in all students' education; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that support should be given to teachers as they attempt to strengthen art education in their schools and communities. NOW, THEREFORE, it is proclaimed that March be observed as Youth Art Month."

Above all else, we should all see Youth Art Month as more than an exhibition of children's artworks. It is a time to call attention to the richness that a knowledge of art can bring to our everyday lives. After all, art is basic. It is a basic human experience. It is an essential human expression. It's absolutely essential to a comprehensive education.