This year, the Black Gold School Division was proud to partner with the Leduc Art Club for the 2023 Aspiring Young Artists’ Competition, to present a broad range of art created by talented grade 9 – 12 students.
“In 2021, we started an annual student art showcase to present a broad range of art created by talented high school students from across the Division, and to select a number of artworks each year for our permanent student art collection,” said Superintendent of Schools Romanchuk. “However, since we were in the throes of the COVID pandemic, the exhibition had to be virtual.”
The first showcase was well-received, and Black Gold hosted another online exhibition of student work the following year.
“By that time we were starting to emerge from the pandemic, a number of parents and community members contacted us to say they wanted to see the artworks in-person – and we agreed,” said Romanchuk. “So we got in touch with the Leduc Art Club to see if we could work together on this, and to make a long story short, here we are, and we couldn’t be happier!”
The Aspiring Young Artists’ Competition is for students in Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12. Students had their work adjudicated by professional artists on June 3 to have an opportunity to win monetary prizes. Presentations were made at the Awards GALA Ceremony later that night, hosted by the Leduc Art Club and the Black Gold School Division.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out to support and encourage our students, to help build their confidence and belief in their abilities,” said Board Chair Esther Eckert, speaking at the awards ceremony. “It is widely accepted that the arts are a necessary part of a well-rounded education; it allows young people to express themselves creatively and to develop a broader, more nuanced understanding of the world around them, consider different points of view, and to empathize with others.”
“As a public school division, we are proud to play a crucial role in educating the next generation of Alberta’s citizens and leaders,” she added. “Your presence tonight is an affirmation that the arts matter to us all.”
The winning students are showing their artworks in the Leduc Arts Foundry Gallery for the month of June. They have also been invited to participate with “AYAC Artists Talk” on their artworks on June 16, 2023, from 7-9 p.m. at the gallery. There will be music and refreshments, and everyone is welcome.
