Over the past decade, arts education has been rapidly dwindling or disappearing altogether from schools throughout the nation. To help fill the gap in Colorado – Janus’ national headquarters – Janus and the Cherry Creek Arts Festival education department collaborated in 2001 to create the Janus Student Art Buying Program, a unique arts education initiative that brings art into the schools and lives of students. (The program encourages new applicants, as well as, returning schools to apply.)
You are invited to apply to participate in the Student Art Buying Program.
Your students may be part of the next generation of ARTrepreneurs. Encourage and engage them through the Janus Student Art Buying Program. In this one-of-a-kind experiential art education program students explore art, as a personal preference, as a reflection of culture and as a business. They use in-class curriculum and excercises to better understand and appreciate art and devolop valuable skills such as public speaking, negotiation and teamwork. Students then apply what they’ve learned during a hands-on art-buying opportunity at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. While the Program provides the entire student body the tools it needs to determine the ideal art for your school, three select students will represent your school at the Arts Festival. Together, these young ARTrepreneurs will select and purchase art for permanent installation in your school using funds donated by Janus.
The program is designed for any school with a dedication to art education. The Janus Student Art Buying Program is geared toward middle school students, however, students outside of these grade levels will also be considered Participation is limited so submit your application for the 2012 Janus Student Art Buying Program today!
Program Details
Each participating school will be invited to select three student representatives to purchase art at the Arts Festival for permanent placement at their school. While there will only be three students purchasing art, one of the main goals of the Janus SAB Program is to create an educational experience that will engage the entire student body. To accomplish this goal, we will provide teachers with a study guide in late January to assist them lead their students in a discussion around the type of piece(s) that would best suit their school. This will help provide a deeper educational experience for all of the students, as well as equip the student art buyers with specific selection criteria.
The art-buying experience will take place at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival on Saturday, July 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Each student group must be accompanied by a teacher or parent volunteer and will purchase their art within a pre-set budget provided by Janus. Student representatives must be designated by Wednesday, April 27, 2012.
While on site, each student group will be accompanied by a Janus employee and/or a school representative to help them navigate the site, meet the artists and select and purchase their piece(s).
Each student group will be asked to present their art piece(s) to a panel and public audience at the Arts Festival. This will provide an opportunity for the students to develop their public speaking and presentation skills as they describe their art buying experience.
Bonus Opportunity – Mobile Art Gallery!
Several schools will also have the unique opportunity to purchase art for the Mobile Art Gallery (MAG): a unique exhibit that tours throughout Colorado to schools, libraries, community centers and other public venues, reaching more than 20,000 people in 2011.
If you are interested in this exceptional experience for your students, tell us why it should be you! Please provide a brief explanation in the space provided in the online application.
Interested in having the Mobile Art Gallery come to your school?
Contact us at visualarts@cherryarts.org or 303.355.2787 to learn more.
To learn more about the Janus Student Art Buying Program and to watch a video that highlights the program, click here.
Questions? For additional program information and application questions, please contact us at visualarts@cherryarts.org or 303.355.2787.
Applications are closed for this year, but please check back to apply for the 2013 program.