The 2013–14 National PTA Reflections Program Student Art Exhibit will open Tuesday, Jan. 13 at the U.S. Department of Education at 400 Maryland Ave., S.W. U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will deliver welcome remarks remotely. Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch will keynote the event, and National PTA President Otha Thornton Jr., and National PTA Reflections Committee Chair Dawn Small will also deliver remarks on the value of arts education.
The opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will honor nationwide student winners of the Reflections Program competition, Believe, Dream, Inspire, in both the visual and performing arts. The event will feature performances by the National Award of Excellence winner for Music Composition in the High School Division and National Award of Merit winner for Dance Choreography in the Intermediate Division.
Since its inception more than 45 years ago, the National PTA Reflections Program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to explore the arts in an educational way. Through the program, National PTA and PTAs across the country urge students in preschool through grade 12 to create and submit original works of art in the medium of their choice— dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography or visual arts — reflecting on a specific theme. There also is a special artist division to provide all students the opportunity to participate in the program.
The Department’s Student Art Exhibit Program, now in its 12th year, provides students and teachers an opportunity to display creative work from the classroom in a highly public place that honors their work as an effective path to learning and knowledge for all. The works also provide Department employees and visitors with both a beautiful environment and the means to be in touch with the Department’s principal customers—students.
The exhibit will be displayed at the Department until the end of February 2015.