Celebrating Youth Art Month

For the first time each art teacher in the Cameron R-I School District K-12 submitted student art for the Youth Art Month (YAM) competition. This is the biggest student art competition in Missouri. According to Middle School Art Teacher Kay Leeper, this competition is the equivalent to a State Championship for athletics.  Each art instructor was permitted to submit up to four pieces to Jefferson City. Artwork chosen were the pieces that “stood out”. Pieces showcasing excellence in craftmanship, detail, and skill. Leeper said that she chose her submittals based on giving the illusion that the subject was three dimensional. To achieve this effect the student displayed extra attention to detail.

According to Leeper, it is “a big deal” to have your artwork chosen for submittal and each artist is honored in Jeff City accordingly. Students are grouped by school and by grade during the ceremony on March 11. They are called up individually and photographed with their artwork and given a certificate denoting their accomplishment. There are also a number of awards given to highlight exceptional pieces. 

Cameron School District has a great number of budding artists. Their master pieces are currently on display at the Cameron Public Library and at the YMCA.