Young Artists 2023

• on view:
• Young Artists 2023
• Thinking Through the Arts

For the past 40 years, the Katonah Museum of Art has hosted the annual Young Artists exhibition which features the work of high school seniors from public and private schools throughout the region.

An impactful program that supports the growth of student artists, the exhibition plays an integral role in the senior experience, providing a unique opportunity for students who plan to pursue the arts beyond high school. For the Museum, this idea of access and education is at the heart of its mission. Arts education has been a foundation of the KMA since its inception.

In addition to displaying the work of high school seniors, Young Artists gives students the opportunity to participate behind-the-scenes in many aspects of mounting a museum exhibition. The first component of the program, the graphic design workshop, involves a collaboration between students and graphic design educators to create the invitation and postcard that are used to promote the exhibition. This year 34 students from regional high schools participated in the graphic design workshop. A complete list of all 2023 graphic design workshop submissions is available here. Through virtual sessions and an all-day, in-person workshop, session, students learned about the elements of successful graphic work and completed their own design. From these submissions, one design was selected based on votes from the workshop participants and KKMA Board, staff, and volunteer team. This year’s winning design was created by Ella Rivard of Fox Lane High School.

After artworks are selected by teachers and delivered to the KMA for the exhibition, select students from each school participate two days of installing the exhibition. Under the guidance of Museum professionals and the volunteer team, students take on the roles of curator, exhibition designer, and installer as they work collaboratively to mount this momentous exhibition. This process challenges them to consider how to organize hundreds of varied artworks to create a cohesive and pleasing exhibition experience for visitors.  Students are also actively learning installation skills of measuring, wall hanging, leveling, and placing labels.

The resulting exhibition will feature approximately 400 senior student artworks from over 40 high schools in Dutchess, Fairfield, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties. The works range in scale, concept, media and process, reflecting the diversity of expression among the emerging artists. For high school seniors, the Young Artists experience lasts a lifetime and creates a legacy that has touched, inspired, and connected many generations of young artists in the community.

Participating Young Artists 2023 schools

Admission to Young Artists 2023 is free to the public. Please consider making a donation when you register to help support programs like this for future young artists. 

KMA 40 for 40

We are proud of our 40 years of presenting Young Artists. We invite you to contribute 40 for 40, fundraising in support of the Young Artists program.  Your gift will help ensure that students throughout the region continue to have the opportunity to share their talents in this annual exhibition.  Join us with your gift of $40, $400, or $4,000 and know that you are inspiring a generation of emerging artists.

Donate Now

Young Artists Alumni

Are you a Young Artists alumni? In honor of the 40th anniversary, alumni are asked to share updates about their current whereabouts, if they are still active in the arts, and how the Young Artists experience impacted them. Please complete the Young Artists alumni form.