Last week, we posted a video concerning an art project at Pulaski County Middle School in recognition of Black History Month. Several of those works of art are now on display at the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley as a part of Youth Art Month.
The fine arts are and will remain a vital part of Pulaski County Public Schools. Our drama, arts, choir, and band departments shine an incredibly positive light on our school system and our community with their work and efforts. These groups have received local, regional, state, and at times even national recognition for their commitment to excellence.
The President Board of Directors for the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, Dr. John Ross, was kind enough to share some information with us about Youth Art Month.
“Youth Art Month was started in 1961 through The Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI) and continues to be celebrated at the national level through The Council for Art Education, the state level through the Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA), and local levels. Across the country, Youth Art Month is celebrated through exhibits, art competitions, fundraisers, and other means. Locally, the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley has long celebrated Youth Art Month in honor of the local student artists and their teachers. Even during the pandemic, local art teachers contributed student artwork to the Youth Art Month exhibit, for two years turning all of downtown Pulaski into a public art exhibit during March.
This year, more than 150 student artists are exhibiting their art in the Edna B. Love Gallery, named after the former Pulaski County High School art teacher and co-founder of the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley. The art will be on display throughout the month of March and a reception in honor of the students, their families, and their teachers will occur on Thursday, March 7, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
The arts are a vital part of any person's education and contribute to the vitality of a community. Writing for Entrepreneur in 2022, Jodie King reported that the not only does art make us feel good and help define our culture, it's good for the economy. She notes that creative industries provide jobs, encourage tourism, and boost revenue to local businesses. In 2022, the nonprofit arts and culture sector generated more than $151 billion, half of which was event-related expenditures by those attending arts events. "The industry supported over 2.6 million jobs, provided $101 billion in personal income to residents, and generated $29.1 billion in tax revenue to local, state, and federal governments." (Timothy J. McClimon writing for Forbes, October 16, 2023)
Student artists are developing some of the most desirable employability skills, as reported in the Future of Jobs Report 2023. Students in the arts are challenged to develop skills such as problem solving, creativity, observation, and communication through their pursuit of art. All of these skills are deemed highly desirable for future employment in any industry.
March is also Music in Our Schools Month, and has been for more than 40 years. Sponsored by the National Association for Music Education.
It is also Theatre in Our Schools Month sponsored by the Educational Theatre Association.”
