Contact:
Dan Carpenter
(325) 673-4587
Marketing@thegracemuseum.org

Youth Art Month exhibit opens Friday at The Grace Museum

Abilene, TX (February 25, 2008) - March at The Grace Museum is synonymous with Youth Art Month, and for the tenth straight year, the Museum's second-floor galleries will be transformed into a riot of color covering every available surface.

Beginning Friday, students from 16 schools in Abilene and the surrounding area will display the art work they have created over the school year. Their art teachers have selected the very best of their students' work for the month-long exhibit.

"The Grace Museum believes in the important benefits of art education and is happy to provide a venue to display and encourage the talents of area art students," said Dennis Kois, The Grace's executive director.

Youth Art Month opens Friday with a public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Revolution, the combined fiddle group from Cooper and Abilene High schools , will be performing. The public is invited to attend this free event.

Student artwork will be on display through March 29.

The exhibit is being generously sponsored this year by Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union and Prime Time Family Entertainment Center.

YAM is a national celebration of student art that began in 1961. It is observed each March to emphasize the value of art and art education for all children and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. The Council for Art Education lists the following nine purposes of YAM:

- To direct attention to the value of art education which develops divergent and critical thinking; multicultural awareness; and technical, communication and expressive skills.

- To increase community, business and governmental support for art education.

- To recognize art is a necessity for the full development of better quality of life for all people.

- To expand art programs in schools and stimulate new ones.

- To increase community understanding and interest in art education through involvement in art exhibits, workshops, and other creative venues.

- To provide additional opportunities for individuals of all ages to participate in creative art learning.

- To encourage commitment to the arts by students, community organizations, and individuals everywhere.

- To recognize art education as a viable component in the total education curricula that develops citizens of a global society.

- To reflect and demonstrate the goals of the National Art Education Association that work toward the improvement of art education at all levels.

For more information about Youth Art Month, please contact Pam Harman 325-673-4587.

The Grace Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every Thursday. Admission is free Thursday evening after 5 p.m.

For more information, call 325-673-4587.

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The Grace Museum's exhibitions and educational programs are supported in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council, the City of Abilene, Taylor County, and the Downtown Revitalization Program of the Tax Increment Finance District. The Grace Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1909, The Hotel Grace served as a rest stop for railway travelers. The mission-style building was renovated and re-opened in 1992 as The Grace Cultural Center. The Grace Museum , a non-profit organization, now serves as a home to a Children's Museum, History Museum , and Art Museum. At 55,000 sq. ft., The Grace Museum is the 10th largest general museum in Texas . The Grace Museum is the cornerstone of cultural arts and education in West Texas.