Youth Art Show

The Morgan Arts Council marks March Youth Art Month with the 15th annual special gallery exhibit of the art of local youth at the Ice House.
The opening extravaganza on Friday, March 2 at the Ice House in Berkeley Springs features musical performances as well as hundreds of pieces of visual art.

The Youth Art exhibit displays two and three-dimensional art produced by selected students from every Morgan County school and homeschoolers.
Refreshments will be served at the opening reception to which parents, fellow students and the public are welcome. The exhibit and reception begin at 7 p.m. and the performance at 7:30.

Featured entertainment includes musical performances from Rachel Wurster and Levi Ellis, voice students of Pat Springer. Students from Wind Dance Farm and Earth Education Center stage sword and Morris dances.

The closing act is a new high school jazz ensemble, scheduled for a competition at Shepherd College the following day. Jill Klein Rone is producer of the performance segment of the youth art show.

The Morgan Arts Council initiated the annual youth art show in 1996 as part of a federal Goals 2000 grant. “The first two were held at Widmyer. Until MAC created this event, there was no countywide art show for students,” said Sandra Earls who organizes the event for MAC. “Now art teachers have grown to expect it as a way to provide public exposure for their students,” she said.

Two pieces of youth art were used in promotion of the event. The 2012 poster art, a portrait collage, done by Berkeley Springs High School senior, Amber Ritchie. The whimsical Cat Heaven by Berkeley Springs High School ninth grader was selected for the flyer.
The student art show fills the Ice House Gallery and overflows into adjacent rooms and halls. “Doing the Youth Art Show every year represents the committment MAC has to the future artists of our community,” said Anne Beckley, MAC's interim executive director. “We encourage the community to show their support of young artists by seeing the exhibit during the six weeks it will be hanging.”

The Youth Art Show may be seen at the Ice House Gallery every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 15.

The Ice House is on Independence and Mercer streets in Berkeley Springs. For more information on other MAC activities call 304-258-2300.