Dear Editor,
March was Youth Art Month, and we held our bi-annual show at the statehouse in Montpelier. I want to share my speech from that evening.
My name is Melissa Kristiansen, and I am honored to serve as president of the Vermont Art Education Association and co-chairperson of Youth Art Month alongside the incredible Rebbie Carlton. But my favorite job — the one that lights me up every single day — is being an art teacher at Poultney High School.
Now, let me ask…. where are all the amazing artists who are part of this show tonight? Raise your hands! You are the stars of this evening.
Here’s something I want every young artist to know: You are fearless.
You pick up a pencil, a brush, some clay, and you dive in without hesitation. You experiment, you get messy, you take risks. Did you know that some of the most famous artists in the world spend their entire careers trying to make art the way you do — with wonder, boldness, and without fear?
Until someone says, you are not. Fearlessness doesn’t always last. And that’s where your art teachers step in. They remind you that purple trees are magical when someone tells you that they’re not real. When your clay vase collapses on the wheel, they remind you that it’s only mud and you can try again. We’re the ones who tell you: Your ideas matter. Your creativity matters. YOU matter.
And here’s why it matters even more: When you make art, something incredible happens. You feel joy. You feel powerful. You feel calm, focused, and connected.
I’m 62 years old, and I still feel awesome when I’m making art. It makes me happy. Every student should have that feeling of joy when they bring something into being that has never been seen before.
This exhibit isn’t just filled with stunning artwork — it’s also sprinkled with data points showing why the arts are essential. Making art reduces stress, lowers anxiety, builds empathy, increases
confidence, and improves your overall well-being. And yet… despite all of this, art education is under threat here in Vermont. In the southern part of the state, schools struggle to fill art positions because the pay is too low, and the jobs are part-time. In the north, schools that finally offered livable wages and full-time positions are now cutting them. In fact, there’s an incredible art teacher right here tonight who will not have a job next year because of these cuts. This is unacceptable. Vermont students deserve strong arts programs and passionate teachers who will help them stay fearless.
And that brings me to our legislators. Last week, I attended the National Art Education Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Three weeks before the event, I emailed over 120 Vermont legislators and asked them for something simple: to take a selfie with a piece of artwork they love so I could hang it in the Vermont Youth Art Month display. Do you know how many selfies I received? Zero. Not one. I don’t share this to shame, and I’m sure if I ask you, you will tell me you support the arts and probably also tell me you “can’t draw a straight line.” Well, straight lines are overrated. And please don’t tell me how busy you are because this is the wrong crowd. We put the “M” in multi-tasking, and teachers, in general, have been spread too thin and still manage to do it all. If you truly support the arts, you are going to show it. You take action. You make decisions that protect and elevate arts education for the students of Vermont. To say I am disappointed with my legislators is an understatement.
So tonight, I leave you with this: To our artists — keep making, keep dreaming, and keep creating without fear. YOU are why we teach. To families and community members — your voices matter. Advocate for the arts. Talk to school boards, superintendents, and decision-makers. Remind them that one painting of a purple tree changed your child’s world. And to our legislators — we need more than kind words. We need action. We need policies and budgets that value creativity and ensure every Vermont student has access to the transformative power of the arts.
Together, we can ensure that art education in Vermont doesn’t just survive — it thrives. Thank you.
Melissa Kristiansen, Poultney
