Youth Art
Each year, Harney County students celebrate the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival through art. There are two ways to participate: the Art-in-Residence Program and the Youth Wildlife Art Contest.
Youth Wildlife Art Contest
Choose your own medium – crayon, pencil, marker, paint, chalk, etc. Choose your own size – most entries are 8×10-ish, but smaller and moderately larger piece are welcome Artist signatures on the back only, please All submissions will be available for viewing and public voting April at the Migratory Bird Festival Art Show & Sale.
Artist In Residence: Janet Stuart
Each year, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge coordinates with area schools on art and natural resource education in association with the Friends of Malheur NWR and the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival.
The AIR Program is a dynamic arts and science initiative designed to teach youth about migratory birds, their habitat needs, and to learn a new creative art technique. Ultimately, the program encourages students in kindergarten through 8th grade to observe, understand, and share what they have learned about migratory birds and conservation through art.
Classrooms throughout Harney County are visited by a Malheur Refuge staff member who teaches the students about migratory birds, their habitat needs, and wildlife conservation while the Friends’ sponsored AIR instructor teaches creative art techniques to foster a lifelong appreciation for art and wildlife. In recognition of their artistic efforts, the student’s artwork is displayed during the annual Harney County Migratory Bird Festival in storefronts throughout Burns and Hines. For the second year in a row, we are proud to welcome Janet Stuart as our Artist in Residence!
Janet, in her own words: I am an artist and art teacher living in Vancouver, Washington. My teaching career spans grades K-12 in art. I have taught art at international schools for over 10 years and in public schools in Alaska for 11 years. My training also includes AP art and IB art. I retired as a full time art teacher a few years ago but continue to work as a substitute art teacher – just this year I taught art to grades 6-12 on Grand Bahama Island for six months.
When I taught art both overseas and stateside, I created opportunities for my students to learn about the local art and culture. For example, in Zimbabwe, I invited local basket weavers, paper makers and stone carvers to teach. In Alaska, students learned to carve soapstone. In China, my students learned calligraphy and Asian scroll painting techniques. I am excited to work as the Artist in Residence at the Malheur National Refuge. The AIR Program is a bridge between hearts and minds, fostering expression through art and deepening our community’s understanding and appreciation for nature.
The AIR program is sponsored by the Friends of Malheur NWR (www.malheurfriends.org).
Together, the AIR Program and Youth Wildlife Art Contest:
- Foster Awareness of wildlife habitat and its importance for bird migrations.
- Encourage learning about wildlife and bird species characteristics to spark curiosity about the natural world.
- Develop the skill of close observation for scientific and artistic purposes.
- Encourage creative experimentation.
- Provide a rich artistic and educational experience for Harney County students.
- Generate artwork for the festival’s student art exhibit in a way that is inclusive.
- Connect Harney County youth to their community and beyond be showcasing their work through the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival