The Art Festival is a one night event featuring student artworks in the categories of poetry, mixed media, sculpture, drawing, painting, photography, and digital art/graphics. The night is complete with live music, free refreshments, and free activities. It gives students of the visual arts department an opportunity to showcase their work to the public. Instrumental music, choir, dance, and theater have concerts and shows, but visual arts does not have its own showcase event. By continuing the Art Festival this year, my partner on the project, Samantha, and I hope to maintain this special opportunity for visual arts students and give them a chance to show their work to the community. 

       Students who receive an arts education are more likely to succeed in their academic classes, have an increased awareness of self, and can better communicate verbal and non-verbal ideas. As Aristotle once said, the purpose of art is to represent the inner meaning of the things that we experience in our lives. I believe that participation in visual arts, particularly drawing and painting, allows people to become more aware of their inner feelings and contributes to their personal development towards being introspective and thoughtful members of society. 

       My opinions on the significance of an art education, especially in the lives of young people, inspires my career choice as an art therapist. 

       My goal with the Art Festival is that people will be inspired by the things that myself and my fellow students have created and that the community will see the importance of art in daily life.