2004 Youth Art Show
Thru April 11, 2004

For the seventh year, a special exhibit displaying hundreds of works of art produced by students in every Morgan County school and homeschoolers will be on display at the Ice House Gallery in Berkeley Springs. An opening reception for the exhibit begins at 7pm on Friday, March 12. Performances in theater and music are also part of the celebration of student art with a one-act play from the Berkeley Springs High School Thespians and three songs from the high school Advanced Vocal Ensemble accompanied by Pat Springer.

The Youth Art Month show is staged by the Morgan Arts Council (MAC.) “We initiated this art show in 1995 as part of the Goals 2000 grant,” said Sandra Earls who organizes the event for MAC. “The first couple were held at Widmyer. Until MAC created this event, there was no countywide art show for students,” she said. “Now art teachers have grown to expect it as a way to provide public exposure for their students,” said Earls. “ We appreciate the art teachers’ support and could not collect and hang the art without their help.” So much art is generated by students for the show that it overflows the gallery space into surrounding hall areas.

New to the Morgan County schools, Lisa Frontino from Paw Paw High School and itinerant elementary school art teacher Abby Jo Hartman are participating. Berkeley Springs High School art teacher Pam Didawick is taking several advanced art students to Paris this summer and they wlll be raising funds through selling their art at the show. Widmyer Elementary third grader, Emily Defibaugh, created the art used on the Youth Art Show poster. Emily is a student of Jerry Potter’s.

“Doing the Youth Art Show every year represents the committment MAC has to the future artists of our community,” said Jenny Wheeler, MAC president. “We encourage the community to show their support of young artists by seeing the exhibit during the month it will be hanging.”

Refreshments will be served at the opening reception to which parents, fellow students and the public are invited. The Youth Art Show may be seen at the Ice House Gallery every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm through April 11.

The Ice House is located on Independence and Mercer streets in downtown Berkeley Springs. For more information on other MAC activities call 304-258-2300 or check online at www.macicehouse.org