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Local students exhibit in juried art show
LE MARS — Students from Gehlen Catholic School and Le Mars Community Middle School have art work on display at the 34th Annual Juried Youth Art Exhibition: Middle School, 2023, at the Sioux City Art Center.
This year marks the 34th year the Sioux City Art Center has coordinated a juried youth art exhibit. The focus this year, which changes annually, is on middle school students in grades 6, 7, and 8.
Each art teacher in the Siouxland area was encouraged to submit artwork for inclusion in this exhibition. The criteria for selection included individual creativity, personal expression, and excellence in workmanship. The goal of this exhibition is to recognize the most outstanding artwork created by Siouxland students.
A total of 356 2-D and 3-D art pieces were submitted by art teachers from 15 public and private schools throughout the region. Sixty-nine submissions were chosen for the exhibition. Shelby Prindaville, Associate Professor and Head of the Visual Arts Department at Morningside University in Sioux City, was the juror.
Beth Schlichte, art instructor at Gehlen Catholic, said Gehlen is honored to have three works of art accepted for this exhibition.
The students and their work are:
• Kiefer Schmidt, Untitled, Clay slab vase; second place in 8th grade
• Carter Beitelspacher, “At Attention,” Multi-print; third place in 8th grade
• Mya Bickford, “Wild Wolf,” Watercolor/crayon resist painting; Honorable Mention in 6th grade.
Schlichte commented, “It is gratifying to see students recognized for their artistic talent and hard work. I applaud the students for their excellent craftsmanship and for working with intent. There is always tough competition in this juried show, so I am extremely happy for these young artists and the placings they received.”
At Le Mars Community Middle School, instructor Jasmine Kaskie said artwork by six students was chosen for the exhibit. They are:
Ava Mielke, oil pastel, animal; 6th grade
Rebecca Jaime Cobain, clay mask; 6th grade
Ryley Reinke, clay mask; Honorable Mention in 6th grade
Naesheama Inos, “Dragon Eye,” drawing with oil pastel; 7th grade
Varek Gallardo, “The Small Dark One,” oil pastel, choice drawing; 8th grade
Annabelle Kibby, clay animal; 7th grade
“I was excited and proud of the Le Mars students who were selected for the annual YAM (youth art month) show at the Sioux City Art Center,” Kaskie said. “These students all worked hard on their projects and their creativity shows through on their pieces. The Sioux City Art Center does a great job showcasing youth art.”
The artwork submitted must have been started after the beginning of the current school year and completed prior to the January judging date. Criteria included originality, creativity and an expressive response to the subject matter and/or media, and must have been created solely by the student, under the guidance of their supervising teacher.
This exhibition opened Feb. 25 in the Sioux City Art Center’s Jensen, Everist and Terra Galleries (which are located on the third floor) and will be on display through April 9.
The opening reception took place Sunday, Feb. 26, with the awards ceremony starting at 2 p.m. in the atrium. All students participating in the exhibition received a certificate of artistic achievement and the place winners were recognized.
Kim Albracht, Education Coordinator at the Sioux City Art Center/Gilchrist Learning Center commented, “Again, congratulations on (the students’) artistic achievement. We are delighted to celebrate your hard work.”
The Sioux City Art Center, located at 225 Nebraska St., welcomes visitors Tuesday through Sunday with varying hours.
Youth Art Month is an annual, nation-wide observance celebrating art education for children and encourages public support for quality school art programs. Created in 1961, YAM began as Children’s Art Month for the purpose of emphasizing the value of all children participating in art.