Observer Online | Student Exhibit Celebrates Youth Art Month

Edition of March 21, 2008

Student Exhibit Celebrates Youth Art Month

By Leslie Perales

Observer Staff Writer

Though many students were out of town for spring break, more than 250 students and their families attended the Youth Art Month reception at the Jo Anne Rose Gallery at Reston Community Center at Lake Anne on Sunday. The reception started at 2 p.m., but many families began showing up as early as 1 p.m., according to Cheri Danaher, RCC arts education director.

About 130 colorful pieces were hung throughout the gallery and community center hallway for parents to see and photograph. Many attendees were snapping pictures of the young artists posing in front of their artwork or with their teachers.

The students used paint, paper and a variety of other mediums to create works of art that went with the theme "A Sense of Place." While some of the work depicted landscapes, others were of animals, historic places and families.

"I love this—this is the staff's favorite time," Danaher said. She said the artwork is fantastic because children are not afraid to jump in and use color. Teachers at eight area elementary schools selected about a dozen pieces from the different grades in their schools to hang in the Youth Art Month exhibit.

Danaher said students were not notified that their pieces was chosen for the exhibit until after the pieces were already hanging in the gallery. Danaher said that when she first saw the exhibit, she noticed that a piece by her son Sean, who is a fourth-grade student at Lake Anne Elementary, had been selected for the exhibit.

"It's wonderful, it's wonderful," she said. That night she went home and surprised Sean with the news that his artwork, a mountainous landscape, was hanging in the gallery, she said.

Linda Rosen, one of three art teachers at Armstrong Elementary, said it was difficult to choose pieces for the exhibit. The children's work was excellent because they were given a broad definition of what they could create, she said. "As art teachers we had to think of titles for them to stay within the theme," she said.

Getting to see the children view their artwork in the gallery was also great, Rosen said. "They love it; they are so proud of it," she said. "It's a thrill for them to see their artwork on the walls of an art gallery."

Cyrus Crevis, a fourth-grade student at Forest Edge Elementary, said, "it feels nice" to have his artwork in a gallery. "It feels very good," he said. "It feels like I made an accomplishment." His piece, called "Where in Virginia," depicts a historical building and landscape with a cannon in front.

During the Sunday afternoon reception Danaher introduced the art teachers and the project to those in attendance. Guests discussed the art while snacking on vegetables, cookies and punch. Aldrin, Armstrong, Dogwood, Hunters Woods, Forest Edge, Lake Anne, Sunrise Valley and Terraset elementary schools all took part in the event. The exhibit continues through March 30.