Greetings from Yankton Area Arts and the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery! For those of you who missed last week’s introduction, my name is Pam Meylor and I am happy to be serving our community as the new Yankton Area Arts executive director.

I am looking forward to a busy year full of events, programs and exhibits along with the daily operations of the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery. But I am the most excited about being able to share the Yankton Area Arts news with you through this weekly column. This is a great opportunity for me to keep you updated on what’s happening in the art world both locally and around South Dakota.

Already I’m happy to report that preparations are under way for some great things in 2009 including the summer band concerts, pop concerts, Kids Fest and Summer Arts Festival. These outdoor events have been very popular and were enjoyed by audiences of all ages. Check back with this column in April and May for a full line up of fun summer events.

In the meantime, it’s still cold outside and there’s no better place to warm up than on a visit to the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery! March is National Youth Art Month; and we’re celebrating this year with an exhibit of Yankton High School student artwork entitled “Young at Art.” Similar exhibitions are presented across the nation to celebrate the creative spirit of young artists and to recognize the vitality of America’s art education programs. Our show will be on display through April 1.

Yankton High School art teachers Victoria Barron, Sheryl Blackington and Peter Deming selected a wide range of student artwork to show the public the impressive talent and diversity of the young artists they teach. This selection encompasses more than 200 pieces of artwork displayed through out the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery.

I have particularly enjoyed the relief sculptures, matte board prints and pottery pieces on display. Yankton has a several talented young artists in our community and there will be many proud parents displaying these pieces at the end of the exhibit.

The art on display ranges from the Art I class where beginning students explore a variety of media and study the elements of art. In this class, projects include drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and ceramics. A second course in drawing and painting allows students to explore art in deeper ways and to stress their personal understanding of the world in addition to expanding their range of media to include oil paints, pastels, and watercolor. Projects in this class involve the study of art history and encourage students to explore styles ranging from wildlife studies to Abstract Expressionism. The study of pottery and sculpture at YHS is a two-semester class.

I have been at Yankton Area Arts for three weeks now, and in this small amount of time, I have had the privilege of meeting many wonderful Yankton residents and community members. It’s also been very apparent that our organization loves to please the public. So please let me know if there are art opportunities you are interesting in having us bring to the Yankton community, or topics you’d like to see covered in this column.

I would also like to encourage anyone who has not been to the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery before, (or if it has been awhile) to please stop in, see the current exhibit and say hello. I look forward to meeting you! The G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery is located at 508 Douglas, and is open 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1-3 p.m. Saturdays.

YAA Calendar of Events:

• through April 1 — Youth Art Month at the G.A.R. Hall Art Gallery -Young at Art featuring art from Yankton High School Students. Open 1-5 p.m. weekdays, 1-3 p.m. Saturdays. Free to the public

• 2009 Summer Arts Festival vendor applications are available at www.yanktonareaarts.com, yaa@iw.net or by calling (605) 665-9754.