Baltimore Youth Television celebrates its fifth year tonight with a showing of 10 short video productions by its middle- and high-school-age filmmakers.

Organized by the Maryland Institute, College of Art in 1994, the program originally put 33 students from city middle schools through a four-month video production course held on Saturdays.

Since then, it has expanded to include Northern High School students attending a summer program at the Johns Hopkins University, as well as groups of alumni of the BYTV program who attend courses at MICA to continue producing videos.

"We are really pleased that this program has made it five years," said Renne Levine, head of continuing education at MICA. "It is now established, we know how to do it, and we would like to get some foundation grants to expand it."

The 68 students involved this year -- from Harlem Park, Mount Royal, Hamilton and Garrison middle schools along with Northern High -- will show their videos at 7 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Art auditorium at a gala sponsored by WJZ-TV.

"To get these kids in an art museum where they are applauded for their work gives them a whole different relationship with an institution like that," Levine said. "It's one of the many benefits of BYTV."

Pub Date: 10/28/98