VISUAL ARTS + MUSEUMS

Blaffer's Award-Winning Young Artist Apprenticeship Program (YAAP)  presents A Little Bit Higher,  the Young Artist Apprenticeship Program Exhibition .  The exhibition opens Friday, March 11 and is on view through April 2.

For several weeks this spring, visitors to Blaffer will be greeted by large, colorful sculptures suspended from the ceiling and constructed of vinyl, straws and zip ties. Clusters of paintings and prints, along with drawings, sculptures and photographs, line the walls to create color harmonies and patterns.

The artworks on view are part of the semi-annual Young Artist Apprenticeship Program exhibition held from March 12 through April 2, 2011. Titled A Little Bit Higher, this spring's exhibition celebrates the achievements of 11 talented students from area high schools. Blaffer invites the public to an opening reception in celebration of their accomplishments at the museum on Friday, March 11, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. with an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. Admission is free, and refreshments will be provided.

The Young Artist Apprenticeship Program organized by Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston is a nationally recognized art-making workshop held each spring and fall for teenagers from neighboring Houston Independent School District high schools. Meeting four days a week, students make art under the supervision of two artist mentors, Audry Herber and Michael K. Taylor. Students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as their creative abilities throughout the course by making drawings, paintings, prints and multidisciplinary artworks including a group project, a two-part sculpture incorporating painting and mixed media.

The six week course culminates in a museum exhibition at Blaffer, and the museum awards two Martha Meier Scholarships to exceptional young artists to pursue higher education at a college or university.

The spring 2011 YAAP participants are Rogelio Coronado, Arturo Delgado, Liliana Dominguez, Michelle Glennon, Emily Hernandez, Nalleli Hidalgo, Yolanda McNeal, Christian Niño, Enrique Rodriguez, Jazmine Sanchez and Blake Walker. They are students at five participating high schools: Austin High School, Cesar Chavez High School, Eastwood Academy, Milby High School and Yates High School.

The students received a real treat this spring: Sterling Allen, Nathan Green and Ryan Hennessee, members of Okay Mountain -- which is currently exhibiting at Blaffer -- joined YAAP participants for a studio visit. "Students asked the artists questions about their inspirations, work as a team and career paths, and it was great to see their own inspiration and motivation build as they conversed with artists," said curator of education Katherine Veneman.

In fall 2009 YAAP earned national endorsement by winning a Coming Up Taller award from the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, presented by First Lady Michelle Obama in a ceremony at the White House.

About Blaffer:
Founded in 1973, Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston was named in honor of the late Sarah Campbell Blaffer, a noted Houston arts patron and collector. Since its inception, the museum has been a vital force in the presentation and promotion of contemporary visual arts in Houston.

Blaffer is located in the Fine Arts Building on the University of Houston's central campus, entrance 16 south of Cullen Boulevard. It is free and open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Sundays, Mondays, university holidays and during exhibition installations (visit the website or call to confirm). The museum is ADA compliant.

For general inquiries, please call 713.743.9521, or visit the museum online at www.blafferartmuseum.org.

The Young Artist Apprenticeship Program's scholarships are provided by the Martha Meier Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund, established in 2006. The 2011 Young Artist Apprenticeship Program is sponsored by Cameron International Corporation and the Texas Commission on the Arts.