GIVE ME A BREAK -- ARTBREAK 2012!

  It's billed as the largest annual student arts festival in the South and Bossier Parish students play a starring role in it.

  ArtBreak 2012 is celebrating its 28th year and thanks to the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, keeps getting bigger and better. Bossier Parish 3rd graders spent Tuesday at the Shreveport Convention Center, proudly picking out the works of art they contributed to the gallery. Each school had its own section to showcase students' handiwork and artistic achievements.

  ArtBreak serves as a week-long showcase for more than 2,500 original visual and literary artworks created by students in K-12. Students especially look forward to the field trip. Third graders go to see ArtBreak while 2nd graders went Wednesday to Celebrate Education, which is hosted by KTBS TV 3 and the Shreve Memorial Library.

  Celebrate Education puts an emphasis on reading -- particularly through the summer when children are out of school and run the risk of regressing if they don't keep reading and learning. Second graders participated in fun activities centered around reading. They were also encouraged to visit their local library over the summer to check out books and complete a book log in exchange for a prize.

  ArtBreak is a free public festival at the Shreveport Convention Center that continues through the weekend. There are plenty of hands-on activities to keep kids busy. Hours are Friday, April 27, from 4-9 p.m. Saturday's hours are from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and there will be a special performance at 7 p.m. by singer/song writer Jason Castro, who many people will recognize as a favorite contestant from "American Idol." Then, ArtBreak runs Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

  It's a great place to take the kids, admire Bossier students' creativity and foster a love for the arts.

  (Photos by Kassie Richardson)