The historic Goshen Theater recently came alive with color, music, and storytelling as Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County members showcased how powerful community can feel—through their own art.

As part of the 2025/26 Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Art Contest, young people ages 6 to 18 from the Middlebury, Nappanee, Goshen, and Elkhart clubs filled the theater with paintings, drawings, sculpture, mixed media, digital art, literary pieces, and original songs. This year’s theme, “The Power of Us,” invited members to reflect on what it means to belong, support one another, and dream together.

The result was a gallery of deeply personal and collaborative work: friends creating side-by-side, siblings contributing to joint pieces, and teens using their voices and instruments to share stories of hope, resilience, and connection. Each piece offered a glimpse into how Club members see their communities—places where they feel seen, safe, and inspired to grow.

“Part of our goal at Boys & Girls Club is to create citizens of the world for the future,” said West Todd, director of marketing and public relations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Elkhart County. “We want people to be caring, kind, and to be examples of what we want the world to look like. Art gives our kids a way to imagine that future and to express it out loud.”

Awards were presented across age groups and disciplines, with Best in Show going to Natalie Wasson for a mixed media piece that captured the strength found in coming together. Standout recognitions included Hudson Woodruff and Khloe Christner in Visual Arts, Lucy Sommers and the team of Kalynn Williams and Aiden Wilson in Sculpture & Mixed Media, Tinley Packer, Christopher Dupree, and AJ Gambrel in Literary Arts, Genevieve Elliott and Maddie Becker in Performing Arts, Amy Klein and Victoria Rodriguez in Applied Arts, and Greta Cunningham in Digital Arts.

Some of these works will now move on to state and national competition, but their first and most meaningful audience was here at home. Throughout February, the Goshen Theater exhibition has given families, neighbors, and supporters a chance to experience “The Power of Us” through the eyes of young people who are already shaping the future of their community.