March is Youth Art Month. As a nationally observed annual celebration, it is designed to highlight the value of art education for all children, while boosting support for quality art programs in schools.
This year's national theme is "Art Connects Us", and is meant to recognize the benefits of students participating in arts education, including music, dance, creative writing, poetry, theater, and the visual arts.
Mary Billiter is the Arts Education Specialist for the Wyoming Arts Council. She said because of the pandemic, "so many art activities had to change the way they looked."
She explained how that amplified the meaning of connection through the arts.
"I don't know anybody that hasn't listened to something that really moved them or watched a performance that just took them out of their home environment or whatever their remote office looks like. And transported them somewhere. And just for a minute, they were outside of everything that's going on in the world. And they got to have a reprieve from it. And I think that's how art connects us. I really do. Whatever the medium."
Billiter added how important it is to integrate arts education in schools.
"I think the more that we make sure that arts [are] integrated into our sciences, our technology, our engineering, and our math, the better equipped our Wyoming students will be for future roles in science, technology, engineering, and math, I really do see the marriage of the two and the benefit of that," said Billiter.
For more information about the poster, you can contact the Wyoming Arts Council.
