TEXARKANA, Texas -- The Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council recognized the talent and creativity of young area artists Sunday during the opening reception of its 29th annual Student Juried Exhibition.
Elementary, middle school and high school students submitted almost 900 pieces for the show, and juror Melissa Gamez-Herrera -- a San Antonio-based artist -- chose 168 to display on all four floors of the Regional Arts Center. From those, she then chose 24 to be recognized with awards.
"I really wish I could have chosen all the submissions, because they're all so cool," Gamez-Herrera told a standing-room-only crowd of student artists, their families, their teachers and other well-wishers. "But we only have so much space."
She said she was "overwhelmed, in the best way" by the level of artistic talent represented by the submissions.
On Saturday, visitors to the exhibition also voted for a People's Choice Award in each division.
Making art is "an every day thing for me," said seventh-grader Alice O. Kneebone, Best of Show winner in the middle school division. She said she plans to pursue art as a career.
The Kiwanis Club of Texarkana Foundation is the exhibition's chief sponsor. The show continues through June 15 at the Regional Arts Center, 321 W. Fourth St.
Student Juried Exhibition Winners, 2022
ELEMENTARY
People's Choice: "The Anything Dragon" -- Lily Barnhart, third grade
Merit award: "A Mouse of A Design" -- Bria Garcia, kindergarten
Merit award: "Blob" -- Nolan Ames, first grade
Honorable mention: "Tiger Watch" -- Aiden Braza, third grade
Honorable mention: "Beauty Queen" -- Asanti Butler, second grade
Third place: "Paradise City" -- Jack Culbreath, third grade
Second place: "Prairie Girls" -- Lucy Carr, fifth grade
First place: "The Dream" -- Christian Brisco, fifth grade
Best of Show: "Protector" -- Ava Gray Brisco, fifth grade
MIDDLE SCHOOL
People's Choice: "Spaced Out" -- Elizabeth Sharp, eighth grade
Merit award: "Oil Pastel Cake" -- Hayden Conway, eighth grade
Merit award: "KOI" -- Kaelynn Works, seventh grade
Honorable mention: "Kaleidoscope" -- Bree Burns, eighth grade
Honorable mention: "Florescence" -- Bralee Reid, eighth grade
Third place: "The Windiest Day of Spring" -- Sophia Escobar, eighth grade
Second place: "Pattern of Victoria" -- Hollyn Gerrald, sixth grade
First place: "Blue Eyed Girl" -- Addison Blue Roberts, seventh grade
Best of Show: "Little Blue House on the Edge," Alice O. Kneebone, seventh grade
HIGH SCHOOL
People's Choice: "Always Watching" -- Addison Alexander, 12th grade
Merit award: "Jamila" -- Elizabeth Duncan, 12th grade
Merit award: "Red" -- Cassandra Moore, 11th grade
Honorable mention: "Las Reacciones de Carlitos" -- Adamaris Jimenez, 10th grade
Honorable mention: "Protect the Wild" -- Lily Buck, 10th grade
Third place: "Murky Waters" -- Emma Henard, 11th grade
Second place: "Splintering Earth" -- Matthew Thomas, 11th grade
First place: "Through the Filter" -- Anna Johnson, 12th grade
Best of Show: "Attention Everyone" -- Lexi Snyder, 12th grade
Best of Show in the high school division of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council's 29th annual Student Juried Exhibition went to 12th-grader Lexi Snyder's sculpture "Attention Everyone," shown. Awards were announced Sunday at the exhibition's opening reception in Texarkana, Texas. (Staff photo by Karl Richter)
"Protector" by fifth-grader Ava Gray Brisco won Best of Show in the elementary division of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council's 29th annual Student Juried Exhibition went to 12th-grader Lexi Snyder's sculpture "Attention Everyone," shown. Awards were announced Sunday at the exhibition's opening reception in Texarkana, Texas. (Staff photo by Karl Richter)