From left, mom Ginger Olivas checks out the art with daughters Aria, a kindergartner; Isabella, a sixth-grader at Nickels Intermediate in Byron Center; and Riley, an eighth-grader at Byron Center West Middle School. Riley is pointing to her digital art self-portrait and explaining that detailing in the face and hair is hard to do
Multiple districts – Sketches, portraits, landscapes and still-life pieces decorated the walls of the Grand Rapids skywalk at DeVos Place Convention Center recently, as the artwork of 149 students was installed.
The Youth Art Exhibition at Festival of the Arts provided a chance for people to see and celebrate the talent coming out of local art classrooms. The exhibition showcased work from 28 schools from 13 districts in the Grand Rapids area. Teachers were each able to choose five pieces to enter into the show.
City High art teacher Meaghan Whittle stands with her student, sophomore Alejandro Martinez, and his high school art award, ‘Overnight Flight,’ a charcoal and pastel drawing. Students were asked to find a current event/news article they had a strong emotional reaction to, then create a portrait showcasing that emotion
Sadie Debski, a seventh-grader at North Rockford Middle student, stands with her Middle School Art Award for ‘Take It Easy,’ a graphite and marker drawing
Hayley Michalak, a third-grader at Evergreen Elementary, in Allendale, stands with her pencil and gel pen drawing ‘Fear of Death’
From left, Lindsay Moynihan, art teacher at Oakwood Intermediate, and Emily Miller, art teacher at Allendale Early Childhood and Evergreen Elementary, show off their artistic fashions flair
Spencer Chadderdon, a fourth-grader at Saranac Elementary, stands with his certificate and self-portrait that earned him an Elementary School Art Award
Garrett Hyink, a seventh-grader at East Rockford Middle School, won a Middle School Art Award for his pencil and marker on paper drawing, ‘Fruit Still Life’
Emily Miller, an art teacher at Allendale Early Childhood and Evergreen Elementary, gets a hug from Ryann Young, a first-grader at Evergreen Elementary, who got an award for her marker print, ‘Stripes’
Chatting near the students’ artwork are, from left, Emily Miller, Evergreen Elementary art teacher and chair of Youth Arts; juror Nathan Kemler, GVSU director of galleries; juror Joel Zwart, GVSU curator of exhibits and collections; Baird Hawkins, Festival of the Arts board member; and Lindsay Moynihan, art teacher at Oakwood Intermediate
Will Hughes, a fifth-grader at Zinser Elementary in Kenowa Hills, stands with his colored pencil drawing ‘Hit the Slopes’
Elizabeth Hoonhorst, a junior at Hudsonville High School, stands next to her acrylic painting ‘Freckles’
From left, Rockford art teachers Jaclyn Warren, Nick Vandenberg and Rachel Kibbe gather together during the reception
Erin Hughes, a fifth-grader at Zinser Elementary in Kenowa Hills, stands with her oil pastel drawing ‘A Bright Idea’
Sawyer Hollenbeck, a fifth-grader at Baldwin Heights Elementary, in Greenville, stands with his oil pastel and crayons drawing ‘Ramen Tree’
Jurors for the Festival of the Arts Youth Art Show are (left) Joel Zwart, GVSU curator of exhibits and collections, and Nathan Kemler, GVSU director of galleries
Dianne Carroll Burdick has worked as a photojournalist in the West Michigan area since 1991. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she has photographed for The Grand Rapids Press, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Detroit Free Press, Advance Newspapers, Grand Rapids Magazine, BLUE Magazine and On-the-Town Magazine. She has been covering the many exciting and thought provoking stories of K-12 public education for School News Network since 2016.
