Members Show Off Creations At County-wide Art Show

Members Show Off Creations At County-wide Art Show

Winners of the art contest pose with their awards.

Members Show Off Creations At County-wide Art Show

Artwork fills the lobby of the Goshen Theater for the next few weeks. It’s all created by members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County.

Young artists from the Elkhart, Goshen, Middlebury and Nappanee Clubhouses have been working on the projects for the past few months. They competed for recognition in the county-wide art show on Thursday, January 26.

“The goal is to showcase our kids and their abilities,” said Bethany Cornell, Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County’s art supervisor. “We wanted to show off the work in a place where people can see it.”

The theater will showcase the work for the next month. Cornell said she’s please so many members wanted to take part in the contest, which is based on the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Fine Arts Contest. Some of the winners will be forwarded as entries in that contest.

Nappanee Club member Sam Newcomer won the national contest last year. Cornell said 129 entries were submitted for the local contest.

“We had more participation than last year. I love that we have so many talented kids in the county and can showcase their work like this,” she said.

Susan Visser from Goshen Theater was one of the judges of the local contest. She said she was impressed by what she saw.

“I love kids’ art in general because it’s always so fresh. There was a huge diversity of style and quality,” she said.

Visser said young people often show creativity in unexpected ways.

“There is always a new generation of artists — a new generation of young people — which a new perspective on the world.”

FIRST PLACE WINNERS

Best In Show

Tanya Bello, Elkhart Club

Pencil Art

6-9 year olds: Aria Ashby, Nappanee Club

10-12: Addelyn Thoden, Nappanee Club

13-15: Charles Redd, Nappanee Club

16-18: Kearia Reed, Middlebury Club

Mixed Media

6-9: Aria Ashby, Nappanee Club

10-12: Aubrey Burmeister, Elkhart Club

13-15: Andrew Deal, Middlebury Club

3-D Art

6-9: Zach Culp, Nappanee Club

10-12: Landon Beech, Middlebury Club

13-15: Tytus Noyes, Nappanee Club

Oil & Acrylic

6-9: Milania Sandoval, Goshen Club

10-12: Eden Copeland, Elkhart Club

13-15: Stormy Gleva, Goshen Club

16-18: Jazlyn Troyer, Goshen Club

Pastels

6-9: Willow Barkman, Nappanee Club

10-12: Leah Yutza, Middlebury Club

16-18: Kearia Reed, Middlebury Club

Ink

6-9: Kitana Johnson, Elkhart Club

10-12: Jamya Nelson, Nappanee Club

13-15: Sam Newcomer, Nappanee Club

16-18: Kearia Reed, Middlebury Club

Watercolors

6-9: Aubri Simic, Nappanee Club

10-12: Eliza Fletcher, Middlebury Club

SECOND PLACE WINNERS

Pencil Art

6-9: Yaretzi Oligun, Elkhart Club

10-12: Dash Barkes, Goshen Club

Mixed Media

6-9: Jaylee Besser, Middlebury Club

10-12: Nia Bernel, Elkhart Club

13-15: Kelsey Hamsher, Nappanee Club

3-D Art

6-9: Liam Eling, Nappanee Club

13-15: Kelsey Hamsher, Nappanee Club

Oil & Acrylic

6-9: Henley Hoogenboom, Goshen Club

10-12: Kathryn Smuts, Goshen Club

13-15: Jaeli Hart, Middlebury Club

16-18: Kearia Reed, Middlebury Club

Pastels

6-9: Andres Ochoa, Middlebury Club

10-12: Ethan Culp, Nappanee Club

Ink

6-9: Blythe Bontrager, Nappanee Club

10-12: Cheyanne Barkman, Nappanee Club

Watercolor

6-9: Braxton Troyer, Nappanee Club

10-12: Madi Overholser, Nappanee Club

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