Jaren Gragg
Contributor
Toe River Arts hosted a closing reception for the Mitchell County Student Art Showcase in the Owen Gallery last week.
The exhibition, which ran for the past month, concluded with events on March 20 and featured artwork from students across Mitchell County. The showcase offered K–12 students an opportunity to showcase their artistic talents, drawing families, educators, and community members into the gallery.
As visitors filled the space, they moved from piece to piece, taking in a wide range of artwork that reflected what students have been developing throughout the semester, including pointillism, shading techniques in drawing, optical illusions, abstract artwork, and sculpture. Students from Greenlee Primary School, Penland School of Craft, Mitchell County Schools, which included the elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as Montessori programs across Mitchell County, participated in the exhibit.
Bethany Chenoweth, educational manager at Toe River Arts, says that she is “thrilled” and that it is a privilege for Toe River Arts to host an art exhibition like this. Chenoweth added that the student showcase is the gallery’s favorite time of year, as it provides an opportunity to spotlight many young artists across the community. She mentioned that what she thought of as the “spirit” of the show was the collage made by the Gouge students.
“This is at the core of what we are all about,” Chenoweth said.
Chenoweth said that holding art exhibitions such as this gives students a chance to express themselves and to show off their creativity. Chenoweth said the Student Art Showcase offers the community a chance to “see the other side of students,” providing an opportunity to support them in ways beyond the classroom and athletics. She added that this creates a sense of pride among students, as they can see all the work they created in an art gallery.
Chenoweth said she hopes student art exhibits will spark interest among both students and community members, encouraging them to explore their own creativity. She added that creating art gives students a sense of community, offering opportunities to socialize while expressing themselves and their emotions.
“It is about you and expressing yourself,” Chenoweth said.
Ten-year-old student Oakley Blanton attended the showcase to view the artwork on display. Oakley said his favorite piece in the exhibition was a painting of Bart Simpson. He added that he has always enjoyed art and hopes to attend more art events in the future. Among his favorite subjects to draw are boats and airplanes, and he said he also enjoyed seeing friends at the showcase.
Oakley recommends art to others, saying, “It is very fun, and you get to express yourself.”