Celebrate Youth Art Month Every March

Youth Art Month

March is Youth Art Month – a whole month of dedicated to promoting and celebrating youth art and art education. It was founded in 1961 and called Children’s Art Month until 1969, when the name was changed to include junior high and high school students. It was founded by the Crayon, Water Color & Craft Institute, the predecessor of the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI). ACMI is a nonprofit association of 220 companies worldwide dedicated to ensuring that art and craft supplies meet federal and state standards for safety, ensuring that those supplies are made with safe, non-toxic materials. You can check their website for a complete list of members.

During Youth Art Month, student art is often displayed at local museums, libraries, and community gathering places. Participation varies by state, with each state featuring different contests and events. Maryland held a “Who Wants to Be an Artist” contest for students in the tradition of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” while students in Tennessee participated in an art exchange with students from Russia. To find out what your state is doing to celebrate, visit your state’s art education page. You can find information about events in California here.

State-sponsored events are a great way to participate in Youth Art Month, but they aren’t the only way. Many states combine events during Youth Art Month with other community programs, but it’s possible to do this on your own as well. You can reach out to a student overseas through International Pen Friends and exchange works of art instead of or in addition to letters, donate works of art to a hospital or nursing home, or participate in craft projects (quilting, knitting, jewelry-making, etc.) that can be donated to shelters.

It’s no secret that art programs in schools have been negatively affected by budget cuts. In the spirit of raising awareness and supporting the cause that Youth Art Month celebrates, consider selling your art or crafts and donating the money to your school or district, or purchasing art supplies for your classroom. You can sell your products online on Etsy, or keep it closer to home and set up a booth at your local farmer’s market.

No matter how you celebrate Youth Art Month, Pencils.com has your back! Check out our colored pencils, drawing pencils, and sketchbooks. And don’t forget our Faber-Castell products – they’re a member of ACMI! Let us know how you plan to participate in Youth Art Month in the comments.

Image courtesy of Children’s Book Review