American Art Appreciation Month

American Art Appreciation Month

August is American  Art Appreciation Month. Celebrate with your middle reader by introducing him to some of the greatest artists of all time.

While Youth Art Month typically occurs in March, local and state events celebrating visual art education take place on almost a year round basis! Events and fundraisers take place in schools, libraries, art centers, museums, and even state capitol buildings. International Artist’s Day is celebrated annually on October 25. Artists work hard to create their work. They add beauty to the world around us.

Art touches the soul… art is communication… it reaches out from the canvas and passes through the eyes of the viewer right into his heart where it can leave an imprint of beauty that can make the spirit sing.
~ Nina Baldwin

you can still encourage him to learn about American artists and August is the perfect month to do it. It’s American Artist Appreciation Month!

From Andy Warhol and Andrew Wyeth, to Georgia O’Keeffe and Mary Cassatt, America has been the birthplace for some of art history’s most talented and celebrated artists. Throughout August, all of them will be honored as we observe American Artist Appreciation Month.

But you don’t have to visit a museum to appreciate American fine art. The Park West Gallery Collection showcases a variety of works by American artists, including Norman Rockwell. And the works of Park West Gallery contemporary favorites such as Leslie Lew, Tim Yanke and Marcus Glenn, are also not to be missed.

So during the month of August, take a moment to learn more about American artists. You never know what you might discover.

One really good way for children to learn about American artists is through a book about them just for kids. These books will not only teach them about the artists, but will help them understand their art through some artistic activities.

• 13 American Artists Children Should Know
  Trying to learn about all American artists might be a bit too much for kids – even for adults. However, art historian Brad Finger has come up with thirteen American artists he thinks children should know about. Two pages are devoted to each artist, providing a brief biography, a description of their art, and why their art is important. You might not recognize all the artists, but after reading this book, you and your child will know why each is included in the list.

  Winslow Horner Mary Cassatt John Singer Sargent Edward Hopper Georgia O’Keeffe Alexander Calder Mark Rothko

  Joseph Cornell Louise Bourgeois Jackson Pollock Jacob Lawrence Andy Warhol Jas

Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters
This book covers over 75 American artists and helps children develop an appreciation for them through an art activity for each artist.  If you want to see more of what the book has to offer, you can visit the book’s Web site. It has a few activities from the book and some that aren’t in the book, as well as some links to more information for each of the four chapters:

• Early American Art
• New American Ideas
• American Art Explodes
• American Art Onward

The book includes a brief biography of each author and explanation of the importance of his or her work. There is also an index of art supplies and a glossary of art terms. For ages 4 and up

If paying a real visit to a real museum isn’t possible, you can see works of art online. One great way to look for American artists online is to visit the Google Art Project. You can search for a particular artist and then see high-quality photos of his or her work.

After learning something about American artists and viewing some of their work, your child might be inspired to create some of her own art work. To be ready, have some art supplies ready.