Select art to be displayed in month-long exhibit at The Galleria

Harris County Department of Education hosts events to highlight the talents of more than 1,600 local teens who earned Scholastic Art & Writing Gold and Silver Key Awards. New this year, 261 Gold Key recipients in grades 9-12 will have their artwork on display at The Galleria from Feb. 28-March 22, 2018. As the Affiliate Partner, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of Harris County Department of Education showcase art and writing from Harris County students in grades 7-12 in public, private and home schools. In addition to the artist ceremonies, Gold and Silver Key art will be on display for public viewing in multiple venues across Houston.

“We are excited to showcase the talent from Harris County teens through our new partnership with The Galleria, a venue visited by both Houstonians and international shoppers,” said HCDE Superintendent James Colbert, Jr. “The Galleria hosts more than 30 million visitors annually, and this heightened visibility of our student artwork is exciting, welcoming news as we continue to support and grow our regional Scholastic Art & Writing entries, judges and sponsors.”

The Regional Scholastic Art & Writing exhibit at The Galleria, 5085 Westheimer, Houston, Texas, will be located on level 1 outside of Saks Fifth Avenue for public viewing during normal operating hours. Hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

“Community is a cornerstone of our philosophy at The Galleria,” said The Galleria Director of Marketing Chris Lane. “We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of these local students and display their masterpieces for all our visitors to enjoy.”

Silver Key artwork from 9-12 students will be on display from March 1-21 at Texas Art Supply, 2001 Montrose Blvd., Houston, Texas, 77006, 713- 526-5221. Gold and Silver Key recipients in grades 7-8 will have their artwork displayed from March 27-April 1 at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH), 3400 Main St., Houston, Texas, 77002, 713-325-5370.

Here is the list of ceremonies planned throughout March:

Artist Ceremony at Ballroom at Bayou Place, March 20 for 9-12 grade students. Students receive Gold and Silver Key Awards at the Ballroom at Bayou Place, 500 Texas St. Houston, Texas 77002. Gold and Silver Key Writing: 5 – 6:30 p.m.  Gold and Silver Key Art: 7 – 8 p.m.

Artist Ceremony at Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston, (MATCH), March 28 for 7-8 grade students. Students receive Gold and Silver Key Awards at MATCH, 3400 Main Street Houston, Texas 77022. Silver Key Art and Writing: 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Gold Key Art and Writing: 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.

For the complete list of Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recipients and for more details, go to www.hcde-texas.org/scholastic.

About Harris County Department of Education: HCDE provides special education, therapy services, early education, adult education and after-school programming. Services are funded by government grants, fees and a local property tax rate of $.005195. For every dollar in local property tax collected, HCDE provides $4.40 in services to the 25 Harris County school districts. HCDE also operates four campuses for students with profound special education needs and adjudicated youth who require a low student-teacher ratio and highly structured environment. One-hundred percent of students served on HCDE campuses are at-risk. The organization is governed by an elected board of seven trustees and has 1,060 employees and 33 facilities, including 15 Head Start centers. More info at www.hcde-texas.org.

About Scholastic Art & Writing: Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts and are sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, located in New York City. The program has an impressive legacy of being the first to acknowledge creative talent and is today’s largest source of scholarships for creative teens. The Awards alumni include: Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Sylvia Plath, Charles White, Kay WalkingStick, Ken Burns, John Baldessari, Mozelle Thompson, Joyce Carol Oates, Hughie Lee-Smith, Robert Redford, Zac Posen, and Lena Dunham.  www.artandwriting.org.

About The Galleria: More than 30 million visitors each year seek the dynamic, comprehensive, fine shopping environment uniquely offered by The Galleria, Texas’ largest shopping center and one of the nation’s top ten largest shopping domains. Spanning 2.4 million square feet of space, housing 400 fine stores and restaurants, two high-rise hotels, and three office towers, The Galleria is Houston’s most popular retail and tourist destination, meeting every budget, style and taste.

About Simon: Simon is a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE: SPG). Our properties across North America, Europe, and Asia provide community gathering places for millions of people every day and generate billions in annual sales. For more information, visit simon.com.