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Youth Art Month

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Held every March, Youth Art Month is a month-long celebration of student artists, in which WMA partners with elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the Wiregrass region to display student artwork in the museum. The exhibition is open to K-12 students from public, private, and home schools in the region, and emphasizes the value of art and art education for all children and encourages the public to support quality school art programs.

ENTRY GUIDELINES

Number of Entries
Enter only ONE (1) artwork per student. Please limit to FIVE (5) submissions per art project.

Artwork Drop-off / Pick-up
Only a teacher or parent/guardian may drop-off or pick-up artwork which must be delivered during drop-off dates/times. If you are submitting for multiple students, please fill out the attached Student Artwork Sheet.

Quality of Work
Artwork should be well constructed, sturdy, and not contain glitter or food materials.

Honesty Statement
Students and teachers or parent/guardian must complete the Honesty Statement on the entry form and attach to back of work with masking tape. Do not use clear tape, staples or glue.

Sizes / Media
Limit artwork to 2D (standard sizes) and 3D works (no larger than 20” x 20”). All mediums accepted.

Disqualification
Artwork that does not adhere to the guidelines will not be considered.

Additional Consideration
All Grade 11-12 submissions to YAM will also be considered for the Second Congressional Art Competition provided the submission meets the 26” x 26” size requirement as outlined in the Second Congressional entry guidelines.

Usage Rights
By entering YAM, WMA reserves the right to reproduce images from selected art works for promotional purposes. Credit will be attributed.

SELECTION OF WORK

Jurors
All works for display in the Youth Art Month Exhibition will be selected by two (2) art professionals not associated with WMA or area arts programs.

Elementary / Middle School
Elementary and Middle (K- 8) jurors will select pieces that offer the best representation of grade level and imagination.

High School
High School (9 – 12) jurors will select works that offer the best representation of grade level, craftsmanship, innovation, and technical skill.

IMPORTANT DATES

  • January 16th through February 2nd: Drop-off artwork deadline*
  • February 11: Notification of selected works
  • February 11 – March 2: Artworks not selected picked up**
  • Thursday, February 28th Opening Reception, 5PM – 7PM
  • Saturday, March 30th YAM Exhibition closes
  • April 6 – April 13th* Final pick-up of selected artwork**

*Drop-off/pick-up artwork during WMA business hours:
Wednesday through Friday 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Saturday 10:00AM – 3:00PM

**WMA is not responsible for artwork that is not claimed by the final pick-up date.

Youth Art Month presents

Youth Write Night

Thursday, March 7
5 – 7 p.m.
Open to 6th-12th grade students

Participants are encouraged to prepare an original piece, not to exceed five minutes in length when presented. Works can be individual or collaborations – poetry, skits, fiction, non-fiction, humor, commentary, and beyond!

More Info & Registration

THE 2ND CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION: ARTISTIC DISCOVERY CONTEST

In conjunction with Youth Art Month, WMA will once again host the 2nd Congressional Art Competition, open to all high school juniors and seniors in the 2nd Congressional District. The winning piece from Alabama-District 2 will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol alongside artwork from other contest winners nationwide. The 2nd Congressional Art Competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage the artistic talent in the nation, as well as in our Congressional district. All winning pieces from each Congressional district will also be considered for selection as the National Congressional Art Competition winner.

OUT OF THE (ART) BOX

We are also thrilled to recognize another year of our popular high-school installation challenge, Out of the (Art) Box. Teams of high school students will create original installations using moveable “boxes.” This year, students will once again be challenged to completely transform their material and think outside of the “(art) box.” The completed “boxes” will be created at the museum over two days and then displayed in the museum during the month of March. The winning team will receive a donation to their school’s visual art program.

AWARDS

High School (9 – 12) students’ works are eligible for the following awards:

  • Wiregrass Museum of Art Award, hung at WMA
  • Youth Art Month Award, hung at a sponsor’s location
  • Houston County Award, hung in the County Commission Building
  • City of Dothan Award, hung in the Mayor’s Office
  • 2nd Congressional Art Competition Award, hung at Capitol

Elementary (K-5) and Middle (6-8) grade students’ works are eligible for the following award:

  • Wiregrass Museum of Art Award, hung at WMA (2)

All awarded artwork will be displayed at the designated location for one (1) year, from March 2019 through March 2020. Works will be returned in April 2020. All art award winners will receive a $50.00 check and will receive recognition during a Dothan City Commission meeting held in early March 2019.

For further information, email Educator Amanda Holcomb
or call (334) 794-3871 ext. 25.

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Email Educator Amanda Holcomb

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Email Development Director Melissa Rea

Email Development Director Melissa Rea

Financial Reports

Financial Report (2014)
Financial Report (2015)
Financial Report (2016)

Email Educator Amanda Holcomb

We're sorry. This event has reached max capacity. Please check out the other great events we have at The Wiregrass Museum of Art.

Become an ART BOX Mentor!

  • Please complete the following information. Mentor applications are due by February 9, 2018.
  • Email is the primary method of communication.
  • Volunteers who will be working with children, sensitive information or monies must undergo a background check, which requires your approval. Are you willing to have your background searched?

Youth Write Night Registration

Write Night Registration

Visiting Artist Workshop – Douglas Baulos and Pinky Bass

  • June 9th, 2018 from 10am to 3pm. Ages 12+ (Students under the age of 15 should be accompanied by a guardian.)

Annual Reports

Annual Report (2018)
Annual Report (2017)

Youth Art Education Policy

Outside of tours, family days, and open house events, individuals who are not enrolled in a class are not allowed in WMA classrooms except by written permission of the Executive Director. Parents may not join children in the classroom during instruction times in order to ensure an atmosphere conductive to creativity. It is important to limit the number of adults to keep the focus on the kids, their learning, and to accommodate limited seating in the studio. Parents are welcome to stay in the museum during class but must remain outside of the classroom during instruction time.

Museum educators are experienced in creating positive learning environments for all ages and are required to go through a background check to ensure the safety of our students. Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit the studio at the end of class to see what their child has created. All docents and volunteers working with children are also required to go through background checks.

Thank you for understanding our policy and priority on the safety and well-being of participating students.

Throughout the year, WMA will host “Meet the Educator” days where parents and their children can come to the classroom to meet the instructor before beginning classes and camps. 2019’s schedule is as follows: January 30 from 4pm-6pm, May 29 from 4pm-6pm, and August 28 from 4pm-6pm.