What is JrVASE?
Junior VASE Background
The Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) has sponsored the Junior Visual Art Scholastic Event (JrVASE) since 2000. The JrVASE program (formerly Junior VASE) is the only art event of its kind in the nation. Students are provided the opportunity to bring artworks created in their art classes to a regional event where they are interviewed by a certified juror who evaluates their work based on a standard based rubric and their understanding of the art processes involved in the development of their artwork. Only academically eligible 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students enrolled in Texas schools can participate in JrVASE. The JrVASE event is held at an area middle school on a Saturday in May. The Regional JrVASE Event is the culminating event for this grade level. There is no State Event for JrVASE.To participate in JrVASE teachers must be a member in good standing with the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) and submit all required participation information online at Teachers or sponsors will set up a teacher page that will provide vital information including important dates, invoices, documents, and feedback opportunities. An entry fee of $15 for each Regional entry is also required. Each student can submit a maximum of two art entries. The art works are juried by a team of certified adjudicators comprised of area artists, university instructors, and art educators.
Regional events are scheduled based on the 20 TEAEducationServiceCenter regions. Each region has a Regional Director responsible for the planning and running of the event. Regional Directors can be located on the VASE website through the Regional Locator. The locator will list the director's name, contact information, and the date and location for the regional event. The Regional Director will schedule student participation by school district and teacher and provide the teacher sponsor with a schedule of when each student will be juried and where.
The jurors look for originally of concept, technical expertise, understanding of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the interpretation of the student's stated intent. The jurors evaluate the art using the following standard:
- Rating 4Superior
- Rating 3 Excellent
- Rating 2 Average
- Rating 1 Below Average