Bethel Park Public Library hosts 9th annual Youth Art Gala

You’ve seen fancy art gallery openings depicted on television and in movies, where attentive waiters serve hors d’oeuvres and champagne to nattily dressed guests.

The ambience will be similar in the Bethel Park Public Library Children’s Department, except that any bubbly beverages won’t be of the alcoholic variety.

Youngsters from toddlers to teens are the stars when the library hosts its ninth annual Youth Art Gala, scheduled for 6 p.m. March 8.

“They’re a VIP for the evening,” Elaine Volpe, head of youth services, said. “That gives them a great sense of pride, and it’s a very special, memorable night for them.”

The gala serves as the highlight event for a display of childhood creativity throughout March.

“We turn the whole department into a showcase,” Heather Anderson, the youth services librarian who coordinates the effort, explained. “It can be all skill levels. We just want original.”

Not only is their work exhibited, but the artists can opt to have it put up for auction on gala night, with the proceeds benefiting library programs.

“They feel very important when they do that,” Anderson said, adding the assurance: “It’s not always the parent who buys their kid’s artwork.”

Each year, the library produces special buttons for participants to wear, and quite a few youngsters are building a collection by submitting their work annually in what has become a particularly popular endeavor.

“Heather does a fabulous job with communication in the schools,” Volpe said. “She will not only send an email to the art teachers, but it also goes to the PTA organizations. We tell the school librarians about it, so they can hype it up for us.”

She’s seen the popularity spread throughout Bethel Park.

“I also love the piece of it that it brings the community together,” she said. “Even people who don’t have an artist who’s showcasing still look forward to coming and supporting these little artists.”

Those who attend gala night are encouraged to provide feedback.

“One of the things we started at the very beginning and has been wildly successful is that we have compliment cards out,” Anderson said, “so that people who are looking at the art can write a compliment to the artist.”

The Youth Art Gala serves as one of many activities that run counter to the old notion of being shushed by a librarian if you raised your voice to anything louder than a whisper.

“We definitely are transforming what libraries are,” Volpe said. “It’s very much a community hub.”

For more information, visit www.bethelparklibrary.org.