Student art in spotlight at BAA Art Center
Mar. 2—March is Youth Art Month, which the Bakersfield Art Association Art Center will celebrate with student shows.
First up is the official YAM show, which is sponsored by California Art Education Association in recognition of the accomplishments of art education in schools K-12.
Children's Art Month began in 1961 when the Art & Creative Materials Institute sought to show children the value of participating in visual art education. In 1969, the celebration expanded to include secondary school students, and the Children's Art Month event officially became known as Youth Art Month
Since 2019, the BAA has hosted the show, which for years had been held at the now-closed Younger Gallery.
The local show will feature student artwork from area high schools including Bakersfield, Highland, South, Stockdale, Golden Valley, Vista, Vista West, Tierra Del Sol, Central Valley, Liberty, Independence, Frontier and Foothill.
Retired art teacher Mary Bradford served as the show's juror. A teacher of the year recipient in 2022, Bradford taught at BHS, Ridgeview and North, from which she retired after 35 years. The UCLA alumni has lived and worked in Moscow, London, Wales and Madrid.
Students receiving awards from the local show will advance to state judging and state winners will be recognized at the annual conference for the National Art Education Association.
The reception will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the center, 1607 19th St.
Work will remain on display through March 30.
Additional art will be on display from students from Liberty and Highland for the latest show in BAA's ongoing partnership with Kern County high schools.
Work from students of Liberty teacher Linda Brown and Highland art instructors Megan Suender and Lisa Mayo will be featured.
Participating artists include Karina Rosales, Caridad Bauer, Joshua Hernandez, Nicole Macias, Maya Medrano, Amy De La Rosa, Inara Moua and Maria Ortigoza ifrom Highland; and Peyton Mize, Addison Johnson, Arianna Arzapalo, Promessa Chaparro and Lauren Williams from Liberty.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter at @realstefanidias.
