Youth Art Month (YAM)

The 2020 theme is
Take a Journey through Art

What is Youth Art Month?
Youth Art Month is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs.

Started in 1961 by the ACMI (Art and Craft Materials Institute) in cooperation with the NAEA, the program is administered by the Council for Art Education (CAE) and focuses on the following eight goals:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Participating is Easy!
As a NYSATA member, you and your students are encouraged to participate in Youth Art Month as a strong advocacy tool for your program! Using our new theme Take A Journey through Art there are many ways you can demonstrate the value of art education to your district and community at large.

• Submit Flag Designs for the New York State Flag by November 24, 2020
• Use our ideas posted here to plan your events.
• Submit artwork to the Youth Art Month Flagship Event, the Legislative Art Show and attend the opening reception.
• Create an art celebration in your community.
• Send us documentation of your event using the forms linked above.
• Attend our information session at the NYSATA Annual Conference or stop by our YAM Booth!
• Plan your public relations announcements.
• Check our Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages for ideas and the latest news.
• Be sure to download and use our new YAM national logos.
• Contact your YAM State Co-Chairs Donnalyn Shuster or Heather McCutcheon

As a NYSATA member, you and your students are encouraged to participate in Youth Art Month as a strong advocacy tool for your program! Using our new theme Take a Journey through Art there are many ways you can demonstrate the value of art education to your district and community at large.

New York State Flag Design Contest

Thank you to our proud sponsor of the NYS Youth Art Month Flag design contest: Sargent Art

New York State is lucky to have Sargent Art as a sponsor of the NYS Youth Art Month Flag design contest for 2020.  Sargent Art will provide art supplies for the student winners and their teacher classrooms.  

YAM 2020 Prize structure as offered by Sargent Art:

One winner in each of the following three categories - Elementary, Middle and High - art supplies for the student worth $100 Retail Value and a certificate; and classroom art supplies for the teacher worth $300 Retail value.  One Overall winning student would receive an assortment of art supplies worth $500 Retail value; and the Overall winning teacher would receive classroom art supplies worth $ 1,000 Retail value. 

Below are the 2020 New York State Youth Art Month Flag design winners:

Overall winner: Sarah Lucas

• Art Teacher: Ms. Heckel

• School: Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School

• School District: Port Washington UFSD

High School winner: Vanessa Espinoza

• Art Teacher(s): Mrs. Schweider & Ms. Stork

• School: Babylon Jr./Sr. High School

Middle School winner: Eliza Harnden

• Art Teacher: Ms. Heckel 

• School: Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School

• School District: Port Washington UFSD

Elementary School winner: Gabriella Cimino

• Art Teacher: Ms. Patti Krakoff

• School: East Lake Elementary School

Below are some Honorable mentions as there were so many that scored very close on the rubric we wanted to mention them also.  

Honorable mentions: 

• Erin Fackler 

• Art Teacher: Ms. Patti Krakoff

• School: East Lake Elementary School

• Michelle Queen

• Art Teacher: Mr. Ryan Doyle

• School: Port Jervis Middle School

• Misty Eldevick-LaCotera

• Art Teacher: Mindy Pavone

• School: Clinton High School

• Allie Van Rossem

• Art Teacher: Mrs. Schweider

• School: Babylon Jr./Sr. High School

• Dana Wang

• Art Teacher: Dr. Rosen-O'Leary

• School: Long Island School for the Gifted

Sargent Art will send a Participation Gift to each school of students submissing NYS Youth Art Month Flag designs.   There were 28 Schools and 30 teachers that took their time and energy to help students created these designs!

New York State Schools that participated along with the teachers:

• St. Catharine Academy

• Art Teacher: Deborah Ross

• Deposit Middle School

• Art Teacher: Marlaina Perry

• Marion Street School

• Art Teacher: Juliet Weiss

• East Lake Elementary School

• Art Teacher: Patti Krakoff

• Cold Spring Harbor High School

• Art Teacher: Collen Beneville

• Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School

• Art Teachers:  Leah Zorn & Heather McCutcheon

• Weldon E. Howitt Middle School

• Art Teacher: Ms. Barbara Ginexi-Waters

• Sayville High School

• Art Teacher: Mr. Hammer

• Pleasantville High School

• Art Teacher: James Maron

• #198 The International Preparatory School

• Art Teacher: Edyta Syta

• Turtle Hook Middle School

• Art Teacher: Linda Rigby

• John Jay Senior High School

• Art Teacher: Toni Catucci

• Park Avenue Memorial Elementary School

• Art Teacher: Susan Zaratin

• Lackawanna Middle School ESD Program

• Art Teacher: April Radder

• Warrensburg Jr Sr High School

• Art Teacher: Jeanmarie DeKleine

• Ellenville Elementary

• Art Teacher: Amy Mottola

• Park Avenue Elementary School

• Art Teacher: Susan Zaratin

• Long Beach

• Art Teacher: Denise Collins

• Clinton High School

• Art Teacher: Mindy Pavone

• Turtle Hook Middle School

• Art Teacher: Mrs. McCaffrey

• Carrie Palmer Weber Middle School

• Art Teacher: Heather Heckel

• Spencer-VanEtten High School

• Art Teacher: Jay McIntosh

• Long Island School for the Gifted 

• Art Teacher: Dr. O'Leary

• Grand Island High School

• Art Teacher: Cindy Wynne

• Science Academies of New York

• Art Teacher: Kathryn Alanso-Bergevin

• Port Jervis Middle School

• Art Teacher: Ryan Doyle

• Babylon Jr./Sr. High School

• Art Teachers: Mrs. Schweider & Mrs. Stork

• South Woods Middle School

• Art Teacher: Ms. Martino

NYSATA IS A PROUD 10-YEAR OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF YOUTH ART MONTH

Thanks to the efforts, time and energy of our dedicated NYS art teachers we continue to maintain our art programs during challenging times in public education. You demonstrate to the community at large the long term value of strong art programs.  Thank you for giving us your Youth Art Month News  for inclusion in our New York State Report. There were so many great things going on for YAM this year.  Let's make 2020 New York State YAM celebration the biggest yet!!