Montana Art Interscholastic (MAI) is facilitated by the Montana Art Education Association (MAEA) and is a unique opportunity for Montana high school students.
GFH Art Department hosted approximately 165 students and 29 chaperones from 19 schools from around the state March 31st and April 1st. Students participated in 18 different workshops, as well as a facilitated critique of their work and a Wearable Art Challenge Friday night. After our grand promenade of wearable art and DJ facilitated dance by Tyson Habien 13 of the 19 schools participated in the largest sleepover in GF that weekend with approximately 121 of the participants and their chaperones sleeping in campus. A few additional GFH staff slept over as well to keep our chaperone to student ratio better than 1 to 5 in all spaces.
The auditorium was used for a keynote presentation on Friday by artist Corky Clairmont, which was open to the public. The counseling area was used as a space to stow overnight gear and the main office conference room was used as a hospitality room for chaperones and presenters. On the mezzanine level of the HUB, district Pro Panels as well as panels from GFC-MSU and the Art Association of Montana were used to display student work in 15 clusters for critique and viewing. Dinner on Friday as well as breakfast and lunch Saturday were catered for by Maria’s restaurant.
Students paid a $55 fee to participate, but the event was also supported by a grant from the Montana Art Council as well as the Out West Art Show group. Their generous financial support was greatly appreciated. In addition, many artists from OWAS as well as professors from MSU and UM facilitated workshops at the event. We also had local artists from The Square and around the community presenting.
Without their generosity and support this event could not have happened. Great Falls High Art Department is very grateful for all those that contributed to make it a great event and our district and site-based leadership for allowing us to host.