More than 300 students in Summit and Wasatch counties have their own ideas about their relationships to land, and the Kimball Art Center will showcase them during the Wasatch Back Student Art Show that opens Friday, April 21.
The exhibit, which will show through May 21, features art from students in grades kindergarten through high school, said Heather Stamenov, Kimball Art Center education director.
“There is a lot of art from our local elementary school students who participate in our Elementary Visual Arts program that we do in these schools,” she said. “We also have work from students who attend the Park City Day School and from kids who are homeschooled.”
The theme surrounding land was inspired by the Kimball Art Center’s other exhibit, “Between Life and Land: Identity,” which also opens Friday (see accompanying story), said Stamenov.
“The student show is also about identity and how our identity is built and projected onto our landscapes,” she said. “So the kids were encouraged to reflect on land and think about their relationship to it.”
For some, that theme meant creating works that are inspired by favorite places, and for others, the work shows places they have been, according to Stamenov.
“You will see a lot of images that are inspired by Utah and that not only includes landscapes,” she said. “It also includes animals.”
Works include paintings, dioramas, woodblock prints and sculptures made from upcycled wood. There is even a model of Delicate Arch created out of MOD Pizza boxes, and animals made from recycled items, Stamenov said.
“Each student depicted these things in different ways that range from symbolism to more representational pieces,” she said. “Once you step into the gallery, you see a lot of youthful energy. But as you get closer to the pieces you can see the crazy thoughtfulness that went into the details of each work.”
Students in public schools began working on their art throughout March, while the students attending Park City Day School had the opportunity to work on pieces for a few months, Stamenov said.
“We met with the teachers at the beginning of the school year and gave them a heads up on the theme,” she said.
One of the things that impressed Stamenov was how the students showed their savvy of how land can be represented.
“The kids are really aware of stereotypes in landscapes,” she said. “They are aware of how landscapes have been portrayed over time, especially when it comes to those ‘postcard moments.’ So, it was cool to see them get away and expand on those stereotypes in a playful and imaginative way.”
Stamenov also enjoyed seeing the students’ personal lens in their works.
“There is a lot of art that shows families, which is another way these kids connect with places,” she said.
In addition to school students, the Wasatch Back the Kimball Art Center’s Young Artist Academy, a program for teenagers, ages 13-17, who are interested in pursuing a profession in the arts, contributed works to the exhibit, Stamenov said.
“This year the 22 YAA students worked with one of our instructors, Kati Gyulassy, who talked about the Great Salt Lake and the wildlife there,” she said. “They got to learn about some of the birds who live there, and recreated them out of paper maché. And that was fun, because they had to decide how these birds were represented — either flying or standing or laying down.”
After they paste and paper dried, the YAA students painted their birds. “Teens do a lot of painting, but usually on flat surfaces,” Stamenov said. “So painting a three-dimensional work was a fun challenge.”
As a reward for the students’ hard work creating works of art, the Kimball Art Center will host a free and special opening reception for the Wasatch Back Student Art Show from 2-5 p.m. on Friday. April 21, Stamenov said.
“We’ll have snacks, art activities and all of our studios will be open,” she said. “It will be a lively and engaging event to celebrate these great artists and the fun of art making.”
Showing art in the Wasatch Back Student Art Show is also a reward for the participating artists, according to Stamenov.
“For the Kimball Art Center, representing artwork is a standard,” she said. “It’s important for kids to see their art go from idea to conception to sketches to the finished, which is the display.”
Stamenov said the exhibit is akin to a recital for those who play musical instruments or dance.
“Part of the key elements of children’s art work is developing confidence, and while a lot of student art gets to be displayed in schools, having a place off-site in a real gallery and museum is special,” she said. “Visual art is meant to be seen and appreciated by others. It communicates ideas, so it’s important that there are people on the receiving end of the ideas. And it’s great seeing these young artists come in and show their friends and family which ones are theirs.”