About YAH
Now celebrating our 54th year as the premier arts-in-education provider in Houston, YAH works with a roster of 78 teaching artists and arts organizations to provide 2,200 presentations a year, reaching approximately 330,000 within the Greater Houston area. YAH has been recognized as an exemplary chapter by the YA National chapter, and the YA National chapter is the first arts in education organization to receive the National Medal of Arts by the US Government. YAH is part of the largest organization in the arts-in-education field, its 31 affiliates provide nearly 87,000 programs to 7 million children each year.
HISTORY
YAH was founded by violinist Fredel Lack, and received non-profit status, in 1956, with support from Ima Hogg and Mrs. William P. Hobby. From the 1950’s to the 1990’s YAH focused on presenting interactive in-school performances by professional classical, jazz, folk, multi-cultural, dance, theater, opera, storytelling and visual artists. Supporting the educational trends and legislation from the 1990s to the present, YAH further expanded into presenting workshops (1-3 sessions) and residencies (3 or more sessions), which use the arts to support core-curriculum skills and allow individual artists to work more effectively with small groups through “hands-on” projects. Now celebrating its 52nd year, YAH works with a roster of 78 teaching artists to provide 2,200 presentations a year, reaching 330,000 children at 363 sites in 2007, including schools, libraries, community centers, and hospitals within the Greater Houston area. YAH has been recognized as an exemplary chapter by the YA National chapter, and the YA National chapter is the first arts in education organization to receive the National Medal of Arts by the US Government.
MISSION
The mission of Young Audiences of Houston (YAH) is to educate and inspire children through the arts, to make the arts an integral part of the school curriculum, and to advance the field of arts in education though professional development and community partnerships.
