Chapman Cultural Center Celebrates Youth Art Month with Exhibits, Music

SPARTANBURG, SC – Youth Art Month is a nationwide celebration of achievement in the arts by children in grades K-12, and Chapman Cultural Center will showcase the creative talents of Spartanburg students all March long.

Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg’s newest exhibition is Focus on Youth: High School Art, a juried showcase of talented students grades 9-12 in Spartanburg County schools. Dozens of works are selected by a special community juror after being submitted by area teachers. On Thursday, March 12, the Guild will hold an Awards Ceremony, 6-7:30 p.m., celebrating some of the “best in show” with cash awards totalling $500. A free public reception will be held a week later on Thursday, March 19, during the city’s monthly ArtWalk, with light refreshments. Normal gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

Chapman Cultural Center’s Student Galleries exhibits the work of Spartanburg County students throughout the year, rotating work every month and a half to display the full breadth of creativity. For March, students from all Spartanburg County school districts, as well as technical and private schools, will showcase their work in an array of artistic genres. A free public reception will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 4-6 p.m., on both floors of the Carlos Dupré Moseley Building to honor the student artists. Light refreshments will be served. Normal gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.

untitled watercolor by K.J. Chon of St. Paul the Apostle’s Catholic Church

“Chapman Cultural Center [and its forerunner the Spartanburg Arts Council] has celebrated Youth Art Month for many years,” Ava Hughes, Arts Education Director, said. “March may be the designated month for youth art, but in reality, we celebrate young artists year-round.”

In order to celebrate more than just the visual arts, the Center’s free weekly concert series, featuring regional singer-songwriters during Sundays Unplugged, will present all youth musicians. Performers in March are Allana Farmer of the father-daughter duo Harana (1), 14 year-old guitarist/vocalist Abbey Elmore (8), well-rounded accordionist Vince Demor (15), honors students in USC Upstate’s Commercial Music Program (22), and local pop star Kylie Odetta (29). All concerts occur on Sunday afternoons, 2-4 p.m., and are free for public enjoyment.

March was deemed Youth Art Month in 1961 through the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI) and in cooperation with the National Art Education Association (NAEA). It was intended as an observance of the value of the arts and arts education for their contribution to quality of life, creativity, critical thinking, education, and social connection. A detailed overview can be found at ArtsEducators.org.

“When you consider the number of dance and visual arts students, Spartanburg Youth Theatre productions, Spartanburg Science Center, and the Big Red Tickets given out by Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Chapman has nonstop youth-oriented art happening all the time. On top of that, our Arts Education program puts artists in classrooms throughout the school year. When we say we make the arts touch every student in Spartanburg County, we literally mean it.”

SunTrust bank is the official sponsor for the Youth Art Month exhibit at Chapman.

For more information on Youth Art Month in Spartanburg, please call (864) 542-ARTS or visit ChapmanCulturalCenter.org.