“Creativity is not canceled this year!” according to the Georgia Art Education Association

Congratulations to Blaine Jordan and Declan Carney, students of the Art by Gwen Studio, for their artwork being chosen for the 2021 Capitol Art Exhibit. March is Youth Art Month, and the Capitol Art Exhibit in Atlanta annually kicks off the month’s focus on art and art education in Georgia. The purpose of the annual exhibit is to bring to the forefront student art talent and is a prestigious honor where students from all over Georgia present their talents. According to art teacher Gwen Davis, “Teachers who are members of the Georgia Art Education Association (GAEA) can submit only two selections each year, and for me it is often difficult when there is so much talent from which to choose.”

Before Covid, in prior years the student artwork submitted was exhibited in the Sloppy Floyd Building across from the State Capitol Building in Atlanta. The artwork was available for many to enjoy with an open house as part of the exhibit agenda. During the open house, our Legislators were invited to come over and greet the art students and interact with them. Presenting their art in this manner encourages legislative support for art education in Georgia to be continued.

As the GAEA states, “Creativity is not canceled this year!” This year’s exhibit will be a digital experience and “The Video Exhibition will be released on March 15, 2021.” We are in special times, and the artwork virtual exhibit will still be shared with our legislators, along with a video some teachers are submitting thanking our legislators for their support.

The GAEA is “a professional organization of art educators in Georgia affiliated with the National Art Education Association. The mission of the Georgia Art Education Association is to advocate for the highest quality visual arts education and provide for the advancement of knowledge through service, leadership and research.”