The Morgan Arts Council celebrates National Youth Art Month with an annual exhibit of artwork created by local youth at the Ice House in Berkeley Springs. This year, Anna Ruggerio and Jordan Warren are the curators of this inspiring exhibit.

Two floors of the Ice House will be overflowing with the creations of local student artists. All public schools in Morgan County will contribute work to the show, as well as education centers and homeschool groups. The artwork will be an exciting mix of all mediums.

New this year, the first- floor Wet Classroom called Annalee’s Dream will be converted into a mini Monet Immersive Experience called “Monet’ s Magical Glow Garden.”
Anna Ruggerio explains that the idea for the garden came after visiting the Immersive Monet exhibit in D.C.. “I thought this would be a fun way for students to learn about art history and that by engaging multiple senses, students would gain a deeper understanding.”
This project was supported by a grant from the Tom & Virginia Seely Foundation making it possible for Anna to purchase the small bridge, black lights, neon paints, books, and posters of Monet’s famous Water Lilies series. In art classes, students have been learning about the Impressionist art movement and exploring paintings and pictures of Monet’ s garden in Giverny, France. All art teachers in Morgan County are contributing pieces to help create this special addition to the Youth Art Show.
MAC will host a reception for the exhibit along with art performance on Friday, February 28 at 6 p.m. The performance, free to the public, will include our local youth showcasing their talents in instrumental music, vocal arts performance, comedy, drama, and dance. Refreshments will be provided.
The Youth Art Show may be seen every Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., through March 3.
Grant support for these programs comes partly from individual donors, the National Endowment for the Arts, the West Virginia Commission on the Arts, local hotel/motel taxes, Eastern WV Community Foundation, and the Tom & Virginia Seely Foundation.
The Ice House is at the corner of Independence and Mercer Streets in downtown Berkeley Springs. For more information on this and other MAC activities, call 304-258-2300 or go to www.macicehouse.org.