By Lou Zykla Jr.
The 830 Times
Nearly 300 students competed for a coveted spot in the Partners for Sharing art exhibit held at the Del Council for the Arts’ Firehouse.
Partners for Sharing is an annual student art show exhibiting drawings and paintings created by young Val Verde county artists. The exhibit was part of the monthly art walk held monthly on the first Friday, and it is displayed at the Firehouse on 120 E Garfield St.
Nicki Carr, outreach director of Del Rio Council for the Arts, said more than 300 pieces were submitted and 50 were chosen to display at the Firehouse. Carr said the students and their families get invitations to the opening ceremony and are able to sell their work.
“It’s really good to see a lot of the community get involved,” Carr said. “We have more people coming to this art walk than we do the other art walks because it’s fun for the kids to show off their art to their families and friends.“
Students from Kindergarten to 12th grade are able to submit their art to this exhibit. Carr said they get art submitted by both kids attending schools and those who are home schooled. Sonya Shoemaker, sixth-grade student from Heritage Academy, submitted a drawing of an anime character with flowers. Shoemaker said she learns a lot from drawing and enjoyed seeing her work displayed.
Most of the kids hear about the exhibit through their teachers. Monica Troxel, art teacher from Heritage Academy, showed up Friday evening to support her students. Troxel said she heard of Partners for Sharing from attending previous art walks and connecting with the Del Rio Council for the Arts. She said her students look forward to seeing their work get displayed.
“The kids get excited and also learn to trust in themselves; it is a wonderful opportunity because they are learning how to improve their art and learning to sell their art,” Troxel said.
While some students choose what they wanted to make, others were persuaded by their teachers to create pictures based on subjects they are learning in class. Leslie Soto, social studies teacher from Heritage Academy, encouraged her students to draw pictures of events and historical figures known for civil rights movements and women empowerment.
“This is a wonderful learning experience where students get to explore their talents and bring out their imagination,” Soto said.
The Partners for Sharing exhibit will be displayed for a month. Their upcoming art classes will start on April 4. More information can be found on the Del Rio Council for the Arts website.
