Starting Tuesday, the Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre is hosting a youth artists’ exhibit in their temporary gallery.
The four Red Lake schools — Red Lake District High School, Red Lake Madsen Elementary, Etoiles du Nord, and St. John’s Elementary — contributed artwork for the exhibit. A total of 143 pieces are being displayed.
The artwork ranges from scenery drawings, to printworks and paintings, to tissue paper butterflies.
“There is quite a selection of work,” museum curator Lisa Hughes said. “Some teachers taught the kids new techniques, other teachers just let the kids draw and be creative.”
The heritage centre ran similar exhibits in 2016 with art exclusively from high school students, and again in 2017 where elementary students showcased their artwork.
“There was a lot of proud parents at our last youth exhibit, so we definitely wanted to do it again,” director Trevor Osmond said.
The name Winter Blossoms was selected by education and events intern Jessica Nagy as a nod to the coming blossoms of spring as well as an homage to the blossoming youth artists.
“It’s a great way to not only show the youths talents, but also get people out and involved,” Hughes said.
Hughes and collections and storage intern Stephanie Dermann had worked on the exhibit for over a week, creating ways to showcase the various mediums. Some of the pieces are quite small, and had to be hung in unique ways.
“It’s a lot of work, but it is so worth it,” Hughes said.
The heritage centre plans to do more youth art shows in the future. Some with just high school students work, and some with just elementary students, as well as some with both.
“Students come up with the most amazing ideas and if that can be shown in art, it’s great!” Hughes said. “It’s great to show their talent and creativity.”
The opening will be Tuesday at 6 p.m. and will be on until 8 p.m. There will be snacks and refreshments available.
The exhibit will run until April 28.