Jasper Arts Celebrates Youth Art Month

At Tuesday night’s meeting, the board heard about some of the many exciting opportunities that Dubois County residents have to experience the visual and performing arts. Last week’s 50 th Anniversary Dinner was said to be a great success and an opportunity to connect with the community. The occasion celebrated the many triumphs accomplished on behalf of the public over the last five decades and gave a glimpse into the organization’s plans for the future. 

March is National Youth Art Month. With support from Universal Design Associates, Jasper Arts is hosting its annual Youth Art Exhibit from March 6 through March 30 at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center. This year’s exhibit will feature artwork from local High School and Elementary school students in two galleries. 

A new workshop series for children ages 3 to 5, I’m an Artist! will run from 10:30-11:30 am on Wednesdays in April. Registration is $25, and participants will take home a finished piece of art at the end of each session. All materials are provided and no experience is necessary. Audiences won’t want to miss Jasper Arts’ upcoming performances. ACT will be presenting a dinner theatre performance of Neil Simon’s Rumors in early April. Ticket sales close March 25 th at midnight, and audience members must be at least 18 years of age due to mature themes. Menus for each night’s dinner, catered by Schnitzelbank, can be viewed on the Actors Community Theatre website. 

On the Main Stage, March 15’s Lonestar performance is officially sold out. For those hoping to purchase standby tickets, doors open at 6:30 on the night of the show. Also coming to the Main Stage, the Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp show on April 12 has already sold half of its available seats. 

This month’s First Thursday Opening Reception is March 6 from 5-7 pm at the Thyen-Clark Center, where mixed media painter Fernando Lozano will be on hand to give a Gallery Talk on his “Portrait of the Sea” exhibit. Students from IU’s Jacobs School of Music will also give a live musical performance of music composed specially for Lozano’s exhibit. 

The call for artists closes next week on March 10, when Jasper Arts will begin its portfolio review of solo and group shows for 2026. Submission information is available at www.jasperarts.org/callforartists. 

Chalk Walk preparations are in high gear. The event will be held on Saturday, May 17 th , from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm at the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center. In case of rain, bags can be picked up on the day of the event. Registration is $12 per person and includes a drawstring bag with a box of chalk and items donated by local merchants. Those who meet the early bird deadline of April 20 will also receive a free T-shirt. To register online, visit jasperarts.org. Volunteers are also welcome and should submit the online volunteer form. Attendees can look forward to enjoying favorites from previous years including food trucks, balloon art, bounce houses, caricature artists, and tie-dyeing, as well as some new offerings including the extraordinary talents of Squonk. 

For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperarts.org.


 - By Drew Hasselbring