Support Youth Art Month in Colorado
2016 Youth Art Month
National Theme: “The Power of Art”
Visit the CAEA website www.caeaco.org and go to the Youth Art Month tab for details, ideas, and forms.
You can also check the following sites for ideas:
http://www.caeayamflags.weebly.com (previous year’s flag design submission galleries)
http://www.pinterest.com/justinesawyer/youth-art-month-ideas/
http://www.pinterest.com/justinesawyer/youth-art-month-flags/
https://www.pinterest.com/youthartmonth/youth-art-month-ideas/
OR contact State Youth Art Month Chairperson: Justine Sawyer, e-mail: caeayam@gmail.com
2015 Overall State Flag Winning Artwork
by Aeneas Gomez
Teacher: Robin Wolfe, Monte Vista Middle School
2014 Overall State Flag Winning Artwork
by Edna Adame-Hernandez.
Teacher: Dr. Alexa Overby, Denver Public Schools
Flag Design Competition (Be a part of our growing collection of winning flags and win a trip to New York City or supplies for your classroom!)
Your mission:
Assign your students the task of creating artwork to be used as a flag design submission in your choice of
media following the guidelines below.
*Each current CAEA member teacher may submit up to 3 artworks.
*Each teacher who submits will have at least one artwork exhibited at the State Capitol Exhibition
The design must:
 Be created by students of current CAEA members
 Represent Colorado
 Represent art
 Include the Youth Art Month logo (as seen at the top of this page—may be added to your digital
submission using Photoshop if it is not a part of the original work)
 It may represent the 2016 national theme “The Power of Art” but this is not required
 Be submitted in a digital format or digital photograph.
The winning design:
The winning design will be made into a 3’x5’ flag and flown at the annual 2016 NAEA Convention in
Chicago, IL, so be mindful of this as you assign the size of artwork to create to your students. Your
imagery will be submitted digitally so you may work in any size you choose as long as you keep in mind
you will have to size your digital image to fit the following size guidelines (you may also crop your image
to fit) keeping in proportion with the 3’x5’ (36” x60”) flag size: Some proportionally scaled down sizes
include: 24”x40”
18”x30”
12”x20”
9”x15”
6”x10”
Sargent Art Prizes:
Sargent Art is sponsoring prizes for our winners. The winning flag designer and teacher will win a
paid trip to New York! First place prizes in elementary, middle and high school, students and teachers)
will be awarded supplies from Sargent Art.
Flag Design Competition Timeline:
November 12-15
2015
YAM Lesson plan released online and in Collage
February 1, 2016
Digital Flag Design Images Due via submission form at
www.caeayam.weebly.com (link may be found at www.caeaco.org under the
Advocacy>YAM Art Program tab)
February 8
Winning designs contacted via email (CAEA executive board members
who do not have students participating will make selections). Forms to collect
student information, permission, and statements about the work will be sent
via email.
February 15
Postmark deadline for submitting winning actual art work or
delivering East High School in Denver to Justine (Mat work with a 2-3 inch
border using black or white mat board—no frames!). Student information
forms, permission forms, and statements about the work due to Justine at
caeayam@gmail.com (Details forthcoming as winners are notified)
March 1-11
Colorado State Capitol Flag Exhibit (Approximately 80 juried works,
winning flag, and past flags) Artwork for the Colorado display at NAEA will be
selected from work in this exhibit by CAEA executive council.
March 11
3:30-5:00 pm
Colorado State Capitol Flag Exhibit Closing Reception 3:30-4:45 pm.
Artist Recognition at 4:15. Take art work not selected for NAEA home at 4:45.
May 1
YAM Reports due: See details www.caeayam.weebly.com (link may be
found at www.caeaco.org under the Advocacy>YAM Art Program tab)
YAM information presentation at CAEA conference in Breckenridge
(information available at caeaco.org under the Advocacy>YAM Art Program
tab)
2015 Middle School Level Winning
Artwork
Artist: Sydney Toffa, 6th grade
Teacher: Sarah Mitchell, Kent Denver
School
2015 High School Level Winning Artwork
Artist: Olivia Wischmeyer, 10th grade
Teacher: Justine Sawyer, East High School, Denver
Public Schools
2015 Elementary Level Winning Artwork
Artist: Oscar Bender-Stone, 5th grade
Teacher: Cathy Moore, Sierra
Elementary, Jefferson County Schools
How to get involved in Colorado’s Youth Art Month
(REMEMBER: It’s Youth Art Month All Year Long—Not just March!)
Everything you do throughout the year advocates for the arts and your program—please share your ideas and achievements.
1. Create flag designs:
Have your students create flag designs for submission. See details at www.caeaco.org and above.
2. Consider planning an event or art show:
Listed below are SUGGESTIONS, not requirements
 Consider doing an activity correlating to the current year YAM theme. The goal of participating in
this activity is to advocate for the arts, so if your project can involve people outside the art education
field, that is great! See the resource pages at www.caeaco.org and Pinterest pages (links above) for
ideas.
 Include “C.A.E.A. presents YOUTH ART MONTH 2016” (or something similar) on all advertising
such as flyers, posters, & invitations to have a father reaching appeal.
 YAM is nationally celebrated in March. Strive to have your exhibit in March. However, if that is
not possible, it can be held at some other time.
 Remember to invite local dignitaries to your celebration & reception.
3. Request a YAM Mayoral/Dignitary Proclamation/School Board Resolution:
Contact your local congressman, mayor, school board or school district officials/ principals,
superintendents, artists, businesses etc. Suggest they make a proclamation declaring March as Youth Art
Month (sample form available at www.caeaco.org under the YAM tab).
1. Write a brief letter. Include the suggested proclamation and/or endorsement—IT IS
ALREADY PREPARED FOR YOUR USE! Simple, yet powerful to do!
2. Make a follow up call. One week later is suggested.
3. Your mayor/dignitary will read the information, approve the proclamation and have it
prepared for his/her signature. After you pick it up, duplicate it for distribution.
4. Include an appearance request.
5. The Board of Education will usually add the request to the agenda. Public officials are
usually eager to participate in YAM, if you will just ask them!
4. Contact your local news media for event coverage and recognition:
One goal of YAM is to make art education visible in our schools and community. (Press release form
available at www.caeaco.org)
5. Be a part of the State YAM Report:
Please Document all YAM activities and events and submit to www.caeayam.weebly.com by May 1st,
2016. Your submission will be included in a statewide report, which is sent to the National YAM
chairperson.
Thank you for your participation!