With words, drama and the visual arts, Maine youth express themselves with their creative voices in March.

The state Poetry Out Loud finals are Tuesday in Waterville, and the finals of the one-act drama festival are March 18-19 in Rockport and Millinocket. In Portland, the Portland Museum of Art hosts the annual Youth Art Month exhibition through April 3, and Maine College of Art is showing artwork by the winners of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

TEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS will recite poetry beginning at 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Waterville Opera House in the Poetry Out Loud finals.

The winner will represent Maine at the national competition May 2-4 at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Northern region state finalists, left to right: Lydia Caron, Bangor High School; Morgan Steward, Carrabec High School; Danielle Barrett, Hampden Academy; Owen Sinclair, Rangeley Lakes Regional School; Anna Bucklin, Searsport District High School.

The state competition is presented by the Maine Arts Commission in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Jennifer Rooks of Maine Public Broadcasting will host.

The event is free, and no tickets are required. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.

The 10 competitors are: Lydia Caron, Bangor High School; Morgan Steward, Carrabec High School; Shiloh Munsen, Freeport High School; Charlotte Benoit, Greely High School; Danielle Barrett, Hampden Academy; Sylvia Holland, Maine Coast Waldorf School; Rose Horowitz, Mt. Ararat High School; Owen Sinclair, Rangeley Lakes Regional School; Anna Bucklin, Searsport District High School; and Ben Millspaugh, Waynflete School.

Poetry Out Loud encourages high school students to learn about poetry through memorization, performance and competition. Almost 10,000 Maine students have participated in the program over the years, sharpening their public-speaking skills, building self-confidence and learning about their literary heritage.

Each high school in Maine selected a champion to compete in a regional competition. From the two regional finals, 10 students advanced to Tuesday’s state finals.

Southern region state finalists, left to right: Charlotte Benoit, Greely High School; Rose Horowitz, Mt. Ararat High School; Ben Millspaugh, Waynflete School; Sylvia Holland, Maine Coast Waldorf School; Shilo Munsen, Freeport High School.

EIGHTEEN SCHOOLS compete in two classes at the Maine Drama Festival March 18-19. Finals for class A, with schools of 525 or more students, are at Camden Hills Regional High School in Rockport. Schools in class B, with 525 or fewer students, will compete at Stearns High School in Millinocket.

Class A schools are Oceanside, Falmouth, Bonny Eagle, Waterville, Oxford Hills, South Portland, Lawrence and Westbrook.

Class B schools are Ellsworth, Lincoln Academy, Baxter Academy, Lee Academy, Maine Central Institute, Foxcroft Academy, Mount Desert, Freeport, Winslow and Lisbon.

THE PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART is showing student art from across the state as part of Youth Art Month through April 3. It’s an exhibition of more than 100 pieces of art by 80 students, grades K through 12, that highlights the value of art education while encouraging public support for arts education. It’s co-presented by the Maine Art Education Association. All students received certificates during a reception earlier this month.

“Students who have their artwork exhibited at the Portland Museum of Art have the powerful experience of having their work hung near the works of masters, in a very prestigious environment,” Manon Lewis, a teacher at Boothbay Regional High School and coordinator of Youth Art Month, said in a press release. “This lends a sense of legitimacy and importance to their artistic explorations and their creative product.”

Maine College of Art in Portland is showing winners of the state Scholastic Art Awards. Maine students submitted work in a variety of media and categories as part of a larger national competition.

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