The Many Forms of Art

 Art comes in many forms. Art is a gentle, yet vibrant stroke of a paint brush on a clean white canvas. Art can be the elegant, unique contemporary dance number performed on the center stage or a classic Shakespeare performance standing the test of time. Art appeals to all the senses; you can see it, feel it, smell it, touch it and, most importantly, experience it at all stages of your life. Art in youth, however, is extraordinarily impactful to a young person’s creative development. Art, in all of its different forms, gives children an opportunity to express themselves in ways that can be displayed and celebrated.
By participating in art programs, children heighten their creativity and visual learning, leading to improved academic performance in school. Research proves exposure to art education promotes self-directed learning, improves school attendance and sharpens focus. Art requires collaboration, patience, perseverance and, above all, confidence. Learning these attributes during the developmental years can be beneficial to adulthood.
The City of Santa Clarita is committed to increasing opportunities for students throughout the Santa Clarita Valley to participate in and be exposed to high quality arts experiences, while also increasing the awareness of the value the arts add to the community. The City collaborates with the California Institute of the Arts Community Arts Partnership to provide assemblies called Share the World, which bring music, dance and interactive workshops from different cultures, such as African, Balinese Gamelan, Indian, Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz, Reggae and many more.
Other art education programs provided by the City include the placement of a resident artist at five elementary schools per year to share the creative process of an art piece. This will give the children an opportunity to be a part of the creation of a statue or painting that will later be displayed at their school, leaving a lasting impression on that campus for years to come. Other assemblies are designed to inspire creativity in the audience and spark an interest in the arts.
Besides the arts education assemblies, students have an opportunity to participate in several categories of art contests, such as technical art, arts on canvas, creative writing and poetry. Hundreds of submissions are collected and judged based on skill and technique. The winners and their school will be recognized at the annual Youth Arts Showcase in the spring.
The Youth Arts Showcase is a free event that provides students in the Santa Clarita Valley an opportunity to showcase their talent by performing, creating live art or displaying their art for the community.  Each local school district highlights their visual and performing artists, local dance studios lead participatory movement and dance classes, student artists display their street painting masterpieces and art studios and community organizations give interactive art demonstrations. The event appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds and utilizes the entire facility of The Centre (20880 Centre Pointe Parkway) with each area designated to a different type of art. The interactive youth art area gives young artists a chance to paint their face, make shadow puppets and receive a free art lesson. The Youth Art Gallery showcases the top 20 pieces of artwork from the Art on Canvas, Technical Art and Pen and Paper essay contests. Attendees can vote on their favorite art piece in the “People’s Choice” category while listening to a youth musician.
The 3rd annual Youth Arts Showcase is scheduled for March 24, 2018 and will be held at The Centre in Santa Clarita from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The event takes place during Youth Art month, a nationwide campaign celebrating and inspiring youth art. The event is meant to be enjoyed in its entirety, so plan on arriving at 11:00 a.m. and enjoy a meal from one of the food trucks.  Art brings the best out of people, so bring your family to the Youth Arts Showcase and enjoy a day of art activities in Santa Clarita!

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