2005 Youth Art Show
Thru April 17, 2005

To mark the eighth year of the Youth Art Month special exhibit at the Ice House, the gala opening event on Friday, March 11 has been expanded to include an evening of music. The concert features singer/songwriter Colleen Anderson and guitarist George Castelle and begins at 7pm with the Advanced Vocal Ensemble of Berkeley Springs High School performing music from Disney shows. The Youth Art exhibit displays hundreds of works of art produced by students in every Morgan County school and homeschoolers at the Ice House Gallery in Berkeley Springs. The concert and gala opening are free and open to the public.

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.

Colleen Anderson’s concert marks the finale of a week of creative writing workshops with students at Berkeley Springs and Paw Paw high schools. Earls is delighted that the exhibit opening will be expanded this year with an Ice House concert. “Colleen Anderson has been a favorite Adopt-a-School artist with teachers,” said Earls. “This is her second year in the program and last year some of the students joined her on stage performing their work. Her concert is a perfect match with the Youth Art Show,” she said.

Anderson is one of West Virginia’s most notable performers and writers with numerous literary awards and several CDs and albums of her music.

“Doing the Youth Art Show every year represents the committment MAC has to the future artists of our community,” said Jenny Rone, 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 17.

Colleen Anderson’s concert is supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the West Virginia Commission on the Arts and town and county hotel/motel taxes.

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