Youth Art Month Celebrate Art in New Jersey Schools

This web site is dedicated to art teachers and art students in New Jersey. They were willing to celebrate and publicize the learning and hard work that takes place in art classes by sharing lesson plans and examples of student work for publication on this site. This site is also intended to be a source of information that may expand and improve the practices of art educators and their students.

During the month of March, the Art Educators of New Jersey celebrate our state's talented youngsters in a venue called Youth Art Month. The purpose is to emphasize the value of art education for all students and to encourage support for quality art education programs. Youth Art Month provides a forum for acknowledging skills that are fostered through experience in the visual arts that are not possible in other subjects offered in the curriculum.

At the 2002 NAEA convention in Miami, New Jersey 2002 Youth Art Month Chair, Kim L. Defibaugh, celebrated YAM by spelling it out with Deborah Fanning (Executive Vice-President of the Council for Art Education, Inc.) and Cheryl M. Lee (National Youth Art Month Coordinator). Dr. Defibaugh received the "Claire Flanagan Memorial Grand Award" from the Council for Art Education, Inc. This is the highest award and was bestowed upon New Jersey for demonstrating growth in the support of art education by government officials, and for the many partnerships formed between educators, businesses and museums to advance the arts in New Jersey.

In New Jersey there are many activities planned in celebration of Youth Art Month each year. Art students participate in the annual flag/poster competition sponsored by the Art Educators of New Jersey. One student design is made into a flag that is flown in Washington D.C. during the month of March in a celebration called "Flags Across America." A second student design is printed onto posters that are sent to every New Jersey art teacher. Other student designs are made into buttons, postcard invitations to the New Jersey Youth Art Month exhibit and reception in the State House Annex in Trenton, and one is posted on billboards in the south and north sections of New Jersey. Exhibits of student artwork are planned for students in every county throughout New Jersey. To learn more about NJ Youth Art Month, click on one of the links below.

1. See photos of student work displayed in the 2005 NJ Youth Art Month exhibit in Trenton
2. Winning 2005 YAM Poster and Flag Designs and Finalists
3. Visit a 2005 Youth Art Month County Exhibit
4. Design the Youth Art Month Poster or Flag
5. Use these Poster Design Tips
6. Need Directions to the Trenton State House Exhibit/Reception?
7. Click here to access the Lesson Plan Index
8. Web Site Links for Art Teachers and Students
9. Visit the 2002 NJ Youth Art Month web site
10. Visit the 2001 NJ Youth Art Month web site

All art teachers are invited to celebrate New Jersey Youth Art Month. Click on the address at the bottom of this page to share your ideas, lesson plans, pictures of student artwork, and information about your own YAM celebrations with other art teachers in New Jersey. In your message include as much information as you can.

Don't forget, you can attach digital photos of student artwork to your message. Photos should be sent as email attachments in .gif or .jpg format. Once information has been submitted, participation will be noted on this web site. You can submit at any time, it doesn't have to be March. Have fun and thank you for celebrating art learning in your classes, as well as your school, community, county, and state!

This web project started in March 2000. Elementary art teachers in Toms River, New Jersey celebrated Youth Art Month by meeting and sharing lesson ideas. Visit the YAM 2000 web site to view examples of student artwork they shared. Perhaps it will encourage you to participate this year!

Send Youth Art Month submissions or questions to: Kim L. Defibaugh, Ed.D.

Kim Defibaugh's Home Page