Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 11, 1994 TAG: 9403110180
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By BECKY HEPLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
"It's one of our most popular shows," said Michael Dowell, new director of the center. "This year's entries are very colorful. There's some very exciting work."
The pieces this year are almost exclusively two-dimensional, including pastels, acrylics, silkscreens and paper sculpture.
The dinosaur drawings from young elementary artists as well as the life studies and portraits submitted by high school students show the subject matter reflects student life and interests, Dowell said.
Invitations were sent to all the schools in the New River Valley to submit up to five pieces to display. The exhibit is not juried now, but Dowell said that might change in future years. A national show is held in Washington every year for Youth Art Month and Dowell thought it might be interesting to submit some pieces to that show.
Sally Hendricks, art teacher at Radford High School, said the local show is a wonderful opportunity for the community as well as for the students. "It's always nice to have a place to display your work and the community really enjoys the show," she said. "The center does a lot to make the students feel special."
Hendricks also sees a long-term benefit. "It's interesting to hear the comments the students make as they walk around the show," she said. "You can see it's a thought-provoking process for them, and the benefits will show up later in their work, as they try different things. The show opens their minds to other ways of seeing."
The show runs through March and includes an afternoon reception for the artists on March 27.
The center is open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays. There is no admission charge.
by CNB