From AAPSNews Serviee
March Youth Art and Music Month is being celebrated throughout Ann Arbor, with student works from grades K-12 on exhibit at various locations downtown.
The district partners with the Ann Arbor Main Street Area Association for the month-long event, said Ann Arbor Public Schools Fine Arts Coordinator Robin Bailey. Student works from all schools representing grades K-12 are on display at the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District library and in businesses along Main Street and around the city center.
“I feel it’s a great collaboration between our businesses and our students,” said Maura Thomson of the Main Street Association.
The celebration includes a reception for families of student artists at Palio Restaurant on March 13, when middle school and high school music groups will be on hand to perform during the event, Bailey said.
At 4 p.m., there will be a culminating Youth Concert by the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra called “Sea to Shining Sea” at the Michigan Theater. As a new feature this year, artwork from AAPS students will be digitally projected during the concert and individual acknowledgment ribbons given to students at the end of the concert, Bailey said.
Concert tickets for the general public are $10; funding for tickets for the first 300 participating artists’ families were made possible through a grant from the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.
Community High School art students are among the participating groups. They will have their work exhibited at the WSG Gallery and at Underground Printing, both on Main Street.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to see themselves as ‘real artists’ in the community, and shows them that we value and support their artistic endeavors,” said Steve Coron, visual and performing arts teacher, adding that said the exhibit is an important community partnership for the school.
Community students will also be invited to engage in a discussion session with the members of the WSG collective gallery, Coron added.
Ann Arbor student artwork for all grades will be on display at the library and throughout downtown businesses through March 31. For more about the event and a list of participating downtown businesses, visit http://mainstreetannarbor.org/
