Young Artists Showcase offers an opportunity to support the arts in education

Education
Photo Credit: Pixabay

SCCOE

SAN JOSE, CA – Twenty-eight works of art will enter the state’s biggest adjudicated student art collection in the Young Artists Showcase located at the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) on Tuesday, May 22.

This year students from across Santa Clara County have created works based on the theme “ART from the HeArt,” encouraging students to demonstrate how their art comes from the heart.

“Each of these pieces is a unique perspective,” says Jeannine Flores, Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator at SCCOE. “The art is very creative and displays real imagination, and the student artists’ statements are very touching. Some are age appropriate and heartwarming, while others make you question how we are taking care of our planet.”

SCCOE has promoted this event for 22 years. What began as an easy solution to brighten the long gray hallways in the Ridder Park office, has evolved into a long-standing tradition which is a visual demonstration of the County Office’s commitment to students and education.

“The Young Artists Showcase is a powerful and visible demonstration of our commitment to serving, inspiring, and promoting student and public school success,” says Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, County Superintendent of Schools.

“This program is a great way to say we are here to promote the arts for all students, we are active in the community; we are advocates for students and families. We want to bring more arts into our classrooms. We offer support for our teachers through professional development, support for our administrators through strategic planning, and support for our students by creating opportunities to shine,” added Flores.

“As a former teacher, I learned early in my career that arts have a profound effect on the learning experience. Arts can reach the disengaged, they can create personal experiences, they inspire discovery, create challenges, heal the wounded, and bridge connections within the self, across the classroom, and across disciplines,” says Dewan.

“The arts are a great way to connect with our students. It gives them another form of expression and communication. Giving them an opportunity to find their voice and share their perspectives is very important to help students become future adult citizens,” adds Flores.

The student’s voice is a vital part of the Young Artists Showcase. Works entered into the permanent SCCOE gallery offer visitors an opportunity to hear the student artists speak via augmented reality.

For the past several years, SCCOE has embedded the art with videos. Visitors can download the Aurasma application and use their smartphones or tablets, point it at a work of art embedded with the Aurasma logo, and watch the artist share why they created the piece, and why the art is important to them.

“Our gallery is open to the public and provides an engaging interactive experience for our visitors,” says Flores.

The Young Artists Showcase will also be highlighted at the Santa Clara County Fair running August 2-5 and there is a rotating installation for travelers to enjoy at the Norman Y. Mineta International Airport in San Jose.

The Young Artists Showcase presents an opportunity to highlight the importance principals and other district leaders play in supporting arts education.

“We can have fabulous art teachers and wonderfully talented students, but if there isn’t time in the schedule to have the classes, it’s not going to happen. Principals and administrators support arts programs and make the programs work,” says Flores.

The SCCOE works throughout the year to advocate for arts in education. Later in the year, SCCOE will co-host the Create CA 2018 Annual Statewide Convening. This annual event will provide leadership development and design statewide arts education strategies.

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