The artwork of local high school students is being showcased at two exhibitions at Gallery in the Grove and The Lawrence House Centre For The Arts.
Students from St. Patrick’s Catholic High School, Northern Collegiate Institute & Vocational School, Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School, Lambton Central Collegiate & Vocational Institute, North Lambton Secondary School, and École Secondaire St-François Xavier participated in the long-standing initiative.
Alexander Mackenzie's Visual Arts Teacher Michael Slotwinski said the exhibitions pose a great way to highlight local art and youth art as well.
"It allows students to show their work so that their peers and other people around the city can come and see what they have to offer," he said. "It looks great on a resume, there are awards they can win. This is kind of their first step into doing professional artwork if they should choose to continue with a career in art."
Slotwinski said it's also a great opportunity for students to gauge the local talent from youth at other schools in the community.
The displayed artwork ranges in a variety of mediums including paintings, sketches, and sculptures.
Slotwinski said many of the junior students would have received more guidance or direction with their projects, whereas senior students would have had more flexibility.
The exhibition at Gallery in the Grove is called "Fast Forward" and will run until Saturday, June 1. The facility is located on Hamilton Road in Bright's Grove and is open Monday through Thursday from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. and Friday to Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Award winners can be found on the gallery's website. The "Fast Forward" exhibition also features the work of Grade 6 students.
Meanwhile, the exhibition at The Lawrence House will end with a closing reception on Thursday, May 30, beginning at 7 p.m. The Lawrence House is located on Christina Street South in Sarnia.