Young artists make a strong impression at juried art show

The 15th Annual High School Juried Art Show opening reception and awards presentation drew students, families, teachers, sponsors, and community leaders to the E.A. Rawlinson Centre on Wednesday evening, where the Mann Art Gallery held the awards portion of the event on a larger stage as attendance continues to grow.

The exhibition itself, which remains on display at the Mann Art Gallery until June 6, features 67 artists and a wide range of media, from painting and drawing to sculpture, clay, mixed media, textile work, and photography.

For Peter Smallboy of Big River Public High School, the night ended with the top honour. Smallboy, a Grade 12 student, received the Best in Show award for “Inner Sight,” a charcoal work focused on the human eye.

“I was surprised,” Smallboy said. “I was off on a trip to Europe, and when I came back, I got the news that I won.”

Smallboy said the piece came from a simple but powerful source of inspiration.

“Basically, I was looking at my eye one day, and I’m like, just amazed, like, how the human eye just looks beautiful,” he said. “I wanted to capture the details in the human eye that I put on the paper.”

He said receiving the award was “an honour” and added that he hopes viewers see “the beauty of the human eye” in the work. Smallboy also said he hopes to one day become an art teacher and help young people recognize their own artistic potential.

Other award winners included Alice Rosetti for “Duality,” Tatianna Trautmann for “The Graduate,” Cristyn Mitchell for “Memory of You,” Jorja Hanson-Lemaigre for “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” Arrow Anderson for “The Creature,” Kiara Levesque for “Sometimes it’s easier to float,” and Abeedah Saka-Bello for the photograph “Carlton.” Collective honours also went to CCHS Collective for “Beads That Didn’t Listen,” Ms. Brown and Ms. Morash’s Grade 9 class for “A Chorus of Painted Keys,” and an anonymous Carlton student for “A Fish in Time.”

The evening opened with remarks from Elder Liz Settee and Mayor Bill Powalinsky, both of whom praised the young artists and the role the arts play in the community.

Before the awards presentation, Elder Liz Settee reflected on the creativity on display in the exhibition, saying she was struck by how strong the work was for artists of that age. She encouraged the students to keep practicing and growing, and pointed to the show as a reminder of how far young artists can go when they are given the chance to develop their talent.

“The work in there is absolutely incredible for high school students. So keep up the good work,” Settee said.

Mayor Bill Powalinsky said events like the juried art show reflect the kind of city Prince Albert wants to be.

“It’s really what makes PA a place to be proud of, to call home,” he said.

He also said the event’s growth, including the move to a larger stage for the awards presentation, reflects the strength of the wider community behind it, including teachers, volunteers, organizers, and students themselves.

Jesse Campbell, artistic director at the Mann Art Gallery, said the exhibition has grown stronger over time as students and teachers increasingly work toward it throughout the school year.

“Every year we are seeing the exhibition become artistically stronger and more interesting,” Campbell said.

She said the move to the Rawlinson stage came after exhibition space began drawing more people than the gallery space could comfortably hold.

“It was basically a good problem where we had really high attendance,” Campbell said.

Campbell said this year’s exhibition includes work that is expressive, bold, and emotionally honest, with students exploring a broad range of materials, techniques, and subjects. She also pointed to the strength of the collaborative pieces in the show, saying they reflect the communication and shared decision-making involved when students build work together.

Tia Holash, the City’s arts and culture coordinator and a sponsor through Lemon Yellow Art Studio, said the exhibition does more than showcase student talent.

“This is not just a student showcase. It absolutely builds our art scene,” Holash said.

She said the exhibition gives youth “a platform for their voices to be seen and heard” and noted that for many students, it is the first time their work has been displayed publicly beyond family and close friends.

While winners came from more than one school, Carlton Comprehensive High School students and collectives claimed a large share of the awards; other top honours went to Big River Public High School and Ecole St. Mary High School.

What stood out most on opening night was not just craftsmanship or technique, though there was plenty of both. It was the confidence of the work, the range of ideas behind it, and the sense that these young artists were speaking clearly through their art. In a city that often talks about building its future, Wednesday night’s exhibition offered a reminder that many of those future voices are already here, and already saying something worth seeing.

arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca