Hundreds of Porter County elementary and middle school students gathered with their families and art teachers in the Chapel of the Resurrection at Valparaiso University on Sunday afternoon for the opening reception of the 40th annual Arts-A-Budding student art exhibition.
The exhibit, which is sponsored by the Porter County Arts Commission and the Brauer Museum of Art, has been celebrating the paintings, drawings, sculpture, and mixed media works of children since 1975 and has continued thanks to the dedication of art instructors.
“I love that this program is a possibility because of the volunteers and teachers who put it together every year,” said Carrie Coslov, art teacher at Chesterton Montessori School.
“They put so much work into making this event happen and it’s a really big deal for the students. I see them walk into the chapel and see their art and they’re so happy. It’s their turn to shine,” she said.
One of those students, Katie Jo Hensley, a fourth grader at Myers Elementary in Portage, said that she was excited about displaying her art for the public, but was also concerned about vulnerability and judgment.
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“I made a birch tree using watercolors. I feel really happy about it and a little nervous about it because I don’t know if everyone will like it,” she said of her painting.
Hensley and the other students whose work was on display received a ribbon of recognition and were called to the front of the chapel as parents snapped photos to remember the experience.
Jennifer Wiemeyer, mother to Catherine Wiemeyer, a second grader at Myers Elementary, took photos of her daughter as she stood next to her work of art—a multimedia snow globe on paper.
“We’re very proud of her. She’s been making her own art ever since she began drawing at the age of 3,” she said.
Piotr Chmura, a third grader at Jackson Elementary in Chesterton, said he too has been making art for many of his young years.
“I’ve been making art pretty much since kindergarten,” he said. “The one on display here is kind of like the Misty Mountains. It’s kind of a painting, kind of a drawing that I made with my imagination. I like art because you can do anything you want.”
This kind of self-assurance is precisely what Amanda Sheffer, art teacher at Kyle Elementary and Aylesworth Elementary Schools in Portage, hopes to instill in budding young artists.
“It builds self-esteem and allows kids to get recognized for their creativity in a special setting,” Sheffer said.
Event chairperson Heather Schultz gave the parents a chance to be recognized.
“I wonder if some of you parents remember having some of your art displayed as kids,” she asked as she asked parents to stand.