By KATE SNYDER

ACB

During the month of March, the Art Center of the Bluegrass had planned on displaying artwork created by elementary school students throughout the Southern Bluegrass region. Of course, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things, including public access to area businesses and organizations, like the Art Center. However, we want to recognize these amazing young artists in our community, and highlight not only their talents but their goal to exhibit in an organized show. 

The Kids Art Show of the Bluegrass aims to showcase artwork by students in grades K-5 from 12 schools in four counties: Burgin Independent Schools, Danville Christian Academy, Mary G. Hogsett Primary School, Hustonville Elementary, Junction City Elementary, Kentucky School for the Deaf, Paint Lick Elementary, Perryville Elementary, Stanford Elementary, Edna L. Toliver Intermediate School, Waynesburg Elementary and Woodlawn Elementary.

Art teachers were invited to submit 10 pieces of student artwork per school. A selection of artwork by student participants in programming at Art Center of the Bluegrass is also represented.

“We were particularly excited to extend the invitation to teachers from outside of Boyle County to submit work to the show,” says Exhibit Director Brandon Long. “This is a great opportunity to celebrate up-and-coming artists throughout the entire region.”

The exhibit also included student artwork that is part of a national competition hosted by Sister Cities International and facilitated locally by the Danville Sister Cities Commission. According to Sister Cities International, the Young Artists and Authors Showcase is an annual contest that encourages youth worldwide to express the mission of Sister Cities International through original artwork, literature, and photography.

Submissions are centered around an annual theme and judged based on originality, composition and theme interpretation. Each member city may submit one piece of artwork to the national exhibition. Prize-winner at the national level will have their work displayed in Sister Cities around the U.S. in a year-long tour.

This year’s theme — One World: Out of Many, We Are One — asks students to highlight citizen diplomacy and the creative ways that we create peace through people-to-people interaction. 

Long says, “We were excited to receive so many entries from local students for this year’s competition.  With it being our first year participating in the showcase, we had no idea what to expect.  The young artists of our community truly delivered poignant pieces that reflected the 2020 theme.  It was great to see the artists considering our own community’s relationship to other cultures around the world.”

Kristine Tran, an eighth-grader at Boyle County Middle School, received the top prize in the Danville competition. Her work will be sent on to the national competition.