Arts & Culture

Young artists create bold entries and display meticulous skills for Mayor's Teen Art Show

KLCC | By Jill Burke

Published September 8, 2023 at 4:14 PM PDT

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Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis and art juror Diane Hill take in the entries at the 24th annual Mayor's Teen Art Show at the Maude Kerns Art Center, where the works of 41 students from 19 schools will be in display Sept. 8 - 29.

Jill Burke / KLCC

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Three works by River Kaswell, age 16, from South Eugene High School. From the Maude Kerns Art Center: "Two of the three portraits he exhibits were created using traditional drawing mediums, such as crayons and alcohol markers. For the third piece, a self-portrait titled 'A Cartoon and My Stuffed Animal,' he challenged himself to work digitally. River, who says he creates his work for fun, aspires to pursue art as an adult, and possibly make a career out of it."

Jill Burke / KLCC

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A still life by Breanna Hill, age 15. From The Maude Kerns Art Center: "Breanna Hill, 15 years old, from Springfield High School, first participated in the Mayor’s Teen Art Show in 2022. In this year’s show, she exhibits two oil paintings, Woman with a Basket of Fruit and Pomegranates on a Table. Breanna, who has enjoyed creating art since she was a child, has learned to prefer the medium of oil, which she deftly handles in her painting of pomegranates, a nostalgic image of 'the fruit that brings vibrance to the winter season.'"

Jill Burke / KLCC

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"Hide and Seek" by Autumn Garibay. Created with colored pencil, watercolor, ink, copic marker, posca paint pen, ash. From the Maude Kerns Art Center: "Autumn Garibay, 18 years old, who is exhibiting in the Mayor’s Teen Art Show for the second time, is passionate about her art and the mediums she uses. She shows five mixed media works in this year’s exhibit, all of which incorporate stuffed animals and are intended to portray life from a child’s point of view. Once Autumn discovered the possibilities of mixed media art, she decided never to return to creating with just one medium. Autumn says: 'Art is what I want to do for the rest of my life. It is what makes me genuinely happy, and I live to make others happy through art.'”

Jill Burke / KLCC

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Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis looks upon the work of Ryman Yang, a three-piece collection of a shoulder bag, vest and pants from the artist's "plasticity collection." Materials used include shower curtain, fabric scraps, plastic bags, misc. plastic. Vinis will select an artist to receive the Mayor's Choice Award. Three other jurors — longtime art educators — will judge the show and determine winners in select categories to receive scholarships.

Jill Burke / KLCC

The work of talented young artists is on display this month at the Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene as part of the Mayor’s Teen Art Show.

The exhibit runs September 8 - 29. The juried show, which awards scholarships, gives teens the opportunity to create and display work for a professional exhibit.

Stopping by the gallery on Friday to cast her vote for the Mayor’s Choice Award, Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis said the exceptional entries this year made judging tough, but that’s also what makes it great.

“Youth really open windows for all of us," said Vinis, standing next to one of the entries, a patchwork coat made of varied fabrics.

"They see the world in a new way. And they see it differently than we see it. I just find it both enlightening and sometimes painful, because of what they are expressing. And always, inspiring,” she said.

Among the works are portraits, still lives, three dimensional creatures, bodices, contemporary imaginings, pointillism, earrings, photography, digital art, and collage. Colors, sizes, subjects and mediums vary widely.

This year’s show was the first time as a juror for longtime art educator Diane Hill, who retired last year. In the past, she’s been an art teacher, helping students develop skills and find their voice. Walking through the gallery space taking in each piece, she called the show "exceptional."

“This is probably one of the most exciting shows I have ever been to, for this teen process and this whole exhibition. I’m just vibrating with all the different art forms and the excitement that these pictures, and the emotion that they are bringing to me,” Hill said.

Exhibition coordinator Liberty Rossel hung, displayed and designed the show, which includes the work of 41 artists from 19 middle and high schools. Rossel describes the show as lively and energetic, and said a surprise trend this year are a few sculptural pieces.

“There is so much personality in these works. They’re really bringing their point of view, their opinion, what they want to see and they’re emulating it and not just simply doing studies of the work, which is also a certain skill, but it’s nice to see so much of the artist in the work,” Rossel said Friday, the exhibit’s opening day.

Rossel recommends giving yourself enough time to absorb and appreciate the works and to experience how the pieces are displayed within the gallery. Reading the artist statements, which are available inside the gallery, deepens the experience, giving the viewer insight on what drives them and what inspired each piece.