KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo Institute of Arts is kicking off it’s annual tradition of celebrating art made by local youth. The highly anticipated exhibitions, High School Area Show and Young Artists of Kalamazoo County, is scheduled to open up this weekend.
On Friday, April 8, however, nearly $600,000 dollars in scholarships will be given to artists with work in the High School Area Show.
The K.I.A. will feature two shows on Saturday, April 9, and plans to offer free gallery admission to the community both Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10.
Students with work in the show have the opportunity to win scholarships and/or prizes from participating schools including the KIA’s own Kirk Newman Art School, Central Michigan University, Cleveland Institute of Art, Grand Valley State University, Indiana State University – South Bend, and more. This year’s juror, the 2021 National Secondary Art Educator of the Year Le Tran, said she received about 260 pieces of artwork for consideration. She hopes the experience will encourage students to continue to create and find more ways to express themselves through the arts.
“Choosing artwork for the High School Area Show was a daunting task, nevertheless enjoyable.” said Tran. “It was exciting to see students explore a wide variety of media and subject matter. The expressive quality of the artwork was refreshing to see!”
Tran said that several factors were considered as she selected artwork for this exhibition, with one factor being whether the work can stand on its own, outside of the context of the classroom assignment.
“Other factors that I looked for are works that communicated an original/personal expression, including inventive use of materials and technical mastery. This exhibition truly showcases the impact of art education and the support of the arts in the Kalamazoo area,” said Tran.
Organizers are also planning a virtual award ceremony for the High School Area Show on Friday, from 6 until 7 p.m.
As one of the leading arts organizations in Michigan and the Midwest, the mission of the KIA is to promote and cultivate the creation and appreciation of visual arts.
Visit KIARTS.org for more information.
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