New outreach program targets military youth for artistic expression
February – April 2020
Craven Arts Council and Craven County Public Schools are proud to announce the “Through the Lens of a Military Child” program. Military-connected students at Havelock High School and Arthur W. Edwards Elementary School will have the opportunity to work with an author and a photographer to create unique pieces in their own images and words, culminating in a month-long exhibit at Bank of the Arts this April. The exhibition will be the focal point of the April Month of the Military Child celebration in the community.
Military families can move (or change duty station) every 18 months to three years. These regular moves translate into 6 to 9 school transitions for military-connected students over their K-12 school years. The ability of military families to adapt to these regular moves is improved when they feel connected to the community surrounding the installation. In addition to offering local military-connected students an outlet for creative expression, the resulting month-long gallery exhibit will give families the opportunity to become more acquainted with downtown New Bern and the local community.
Photographer Pat Keough will work with students on producing photographs and images that will be displayed in the Bank of the Arts along with a written narrative created under the instruction of author Devyn Dawson. Pat Keough is a former U.S. Army military photojournalist who has taught a variety of photography and art courses for multiple North Carolina community colleges and the Society for Photographic Education. His work has been exhibited and won awards across the United States and Europe. Devyn Dawson is nationally known young adult fiction writer with more than fifteen published novels, including the The Light Tamer trilogy and The Legacy of Kilkenny series.
The opening reception for the exhibit will take place April 4th, from 3pm-5pm at Bank of the Arts. Student-artists, family members, and the community are encouraged to attend to show their support and appreciation for the Month of the Military Child, established as April by Casper Weinberger, Secretary of Defense in 1986. There will be an additional reception during the downtown New Bern ArtWalk on April 10th, from 5 – 8 p.m. All artwork will be on display at Bank of the Arts for the month of April.
This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources (www.NCArts.org), with matching funds from Craven Arts Council and Gallery, a Designated County Partner of the N.C. Arts Council.
For more information please contact Jonathan Burger, Marketing and Gallery Director, Craven Arts Council & Gallery, Inc. at the Bank of the Arts, 317 Middle St., New Bern, 252-638-2577
Submitted by: Jonathan Burger