Austin's Mexic-Arte Museum Presented Award From First Lady Michelle Obama

AUSTIN, TX — A youth development program run by the Mexic-Arte Museum received a a national award from first lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday.

The youth education program, dubbed "Screen It!" was launched in 2009. The after-school program for visual arts joined 11 other efforts nationwide in receiving the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Programaward. The award honors programs that utilize the arts to increase academic achievement while raising cultural awareness.

A ceremony at the White House was live streamed live during the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Award officials described the local program on its website: "Drawing inspiration from the Serie Print Project archive at the Mexic-Arte Museum, in Austin, Texas, students, ages 6 to 17, study art history, the print collection, digital design, and screen printing to tell their own stories and contribute to a vibrant community voice. This is Screen It!"

The program combines analysis of artistic styles and historical periods, officials explained. Interactive learning, such as field trips the museum and technical instruction augment the program's offerings.

"These activities help participants develop an understanding of the diverse art and culture of Latinos and Latin Americans," program officials wrote. "Many students relate to the print collection so deeply that it inspires them to express their own heritage through art projects, created in the program’s workshops. Some truly embrace the museum components of Screen It!and pursue museum studies in college."

Held after school and during the summer, the program reaches 2,100 at-risk Latio and African American youth from Dove Springs, an underserved Austin neighbhorhood. During their participation, students engage in intensive workshops provided at host schools and community events, during which they learn basic screen printing vocabulary and the printign process, according to the website.

Local screen printesr, artists and museum professionals lead the sessions while mentoiring and instructing the youth. Among the various projects are multi-colored T-shirts, tote bags, artwork and posters — all featuring students' original designs.

Students later showcase their work by sellign it at large-scale Austin events that include the SXSWedu Expo and Taste of Mexico, part of the city's Cinco de Mayo celebratio. Further validation will come in the spring of next year, when a Screen It! exhibition is scheduled as part of the inauguration of Austin's new central libary.

"For many of the young people in this program, transitioning between elementary, middle, and high school can be challenging," program officials wrote. "They strive to make positive choices and follow a path toward academic success, despite such neighborhood issues as gangs and drugs. Screen It! sets a public service goal to reduce youth involvement in these risky activities, as well as to minimize their contact with the juvenile justice system."

That's the other dividend to the program: " By providing consistent educational and artistic opportunities, plus mentoring, Screen It! has a remarkable 100 percent success rate: Participants remain crime-free and confident in their abilities to succeed after the program," award officials wrote.

The dozen recipients were chosen from a pool of more than 250 submissions and from among a field of 50 finalists from across the country. The Mexic-Arte initiative received $10,000 to support its programming and involve more community youth.

To learn more about the Screen It! program, click here.

>>> Photo via National Arts and Humanities Youth Program