USU ArtsBridge Projects Featured in Gallery Walk

Youth art created through Utah State University’s ArtsBridge program is featured for the third consecutive year in Logan’s springtime Downtown Gallery Walk April 8, 6-9 p.m.

Each year, USU ArtsBridge reaches hundreds of children and youth through hands-on visual and performing arts programs offered in area schools. As a service learning scholarship program to train novice teachers and teaching artists, ArtsBridge scholars work closely with classroom teachers to bring quality art-making experiences into classrooms throughout Cache Valley.

St. John’s Episcopal Church, located across the street from the Logan Tabernacle, has hosted ArtsBridge student projects for the past several spring Gallery Walks.Three in-progress mural projects are on display this year. Projects include “American History Mural” by Bear River Charter School 8th graders, led by Teresa Osborne, USU special education major and host teacher Cade Bassett; “Bear River Bird Refuge Mural” by Mountainside Elementary 4th graders, led by Sarah Ford, USU secondary art education major and host teacher Debbie Lowry; and “Counties of Utah Clay Mural” by Millville Elementary 4th graders, led by Brian Abel, USU art major with a sculpture emphasis and host teacher Linsey Clawson.

USU ArtsBridge also showcases the art of Fast Forward Charter High School students at the Thatcher-Young Mansion, 35 W. 100 South. USU ArtsBridge scholars worked with Fast Forward students to create an exhibition of two-and three-dimensional art, along with a series of film projects that will be projected in one of the upstairs gallery spaces. The exhibition is part of a year-long collaboration with USU ArtsBridge, USU’s Access and Diversity Center and Fast Forward Charter High School.

The Arts Ambassador program, currently piloted at Fast Forward in North Logan, pairs a USU ArtsBridge scholar with an arts student from the alternative high school. This encourages retention, graduation and college attendance through engaged community action in each student’s chosen arts medium. Six USU ArtsBridge scholars in three arts disciplines (visual arts, video and music) have mentored six high school arts students in the same disciplines throughout the school year.

Fast Forward music students take part in the “Greening the Arts” Junk Band featured during the Gallery Walk outside the Thatcher-Young Mansion from 6-9 p.m., weather permitting. If raining, an alternative location will be announced. The high school and college musicians created a band using found objects and are part of the Cache Valley Center for the Arts broader “Greening the Arts” initiative.

Special support for the Fast Forward Charter High School Logan Gallery Walk exhibition and performance is provided by the Utah Division of Arts and Museum’s Random Acts of Art seed grant program.

“The (Random Acts) projects are artistic responses to unique community needs,” Division of Arts & Museums Director Margaret Hunt said. “They aim for significant social impact through creative collaborations.” 

For more information about USU ArtsBridge, or to become a partner school, see its website.