Some students at both Duncan Middle School and Duncan High School alike have submitted their art works to be displayed for Youth Art Month. Youth Art Month allows kids ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade to showcase their works in the CTAC Art Gallery for everyone to see.
Tonight, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, is the opening night reception, where all of the art will be on display at the gallery. This reception is located inside the building at 810 W. Walnut, Duncan, right next to Hodgson Studio of Music and Drama. Kids that made their own art pieces will most likely be at the reception, but they aren’t the only ones who can visit. Family, friends, teachers, and other faculty members are invited to come support the kids as they show off their artistic talents.
In addition to the art being displayed, kids have a chance to win prizes. In this competition, there will be four types of awards participants can receive: first, second, third, and honorable mentions. Awards will be given to elementary kids, middle schoolers, and high schoolers separately, so that each age group is given a fair chance to win. Participants will also have the chance to receive the award, “Best in Show,” an award that will win cash prizes. Art pieces that are entered have to meet a few requirements, including meeting the deadline, mat artwork or mount artwork, and labeled artwork with the artists’ name and other details. In addition to this, the artwork has to be display ready, meaning already ready to go and in a frame of some sort. Any kind of medium, such as paint, watercolor, colored pencils, etc., are acceptable to be placed in the art show.
Darcy Reed, Executive Director of the Chisholm Trail Arts Council, is excited for the art show, and believes that art is important for young minds. “There are so many reasons that the arts are important for our youth. Art does more than just provide a creative outlet for students, it also provides critical thinking, educational benefits, and even emotional and mental outlets,” Reed says. “Art played a huge part in bringing people together this past year when we, as a nation, have been the most isolated we have ever been in our normal daily lives.”
