Youth Art Month has been celebrated nation-wide each March since 1961 to promote art and quality art education.
Art education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, self-expression, cooperation with others, and critical thinking skills, skills vital to the success of our future leaders --- our children.
In "The Nation and the Arts," a Presidential briefing paper prepared by the Independent Committee on Arts Policy, it was stated:
"Well-developed programs of making and studying art serve many functions. They help students better articulate their perceptions and shape coherent responses to their experiences. When children learn to appreciate form and color...when they learn the importance of fashioning their own images of the world around them, they achieve greater discipline and self confidence. Further, the arts have extrinsic public value as they are increasingly important to this nation's economy."
"Too often, the value of participation in the arts is underestimated. The arts enrich our lives and enrich our learning. And the arts are a valuable learning tool that reinforces the other disciplines, like reading, writing, social studies, even science and math." --- New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman
"Youth Art Month gives art programs a chance to shine and put forth an extra effort to get their message heard. Without YAM, I know many programs would just die out, and I know I would not be getting the chance to teach 600 students a week that art is a part of all of our lives." --- Malisa Clarkson, West Virginia Youth Art Month Chairperson
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