Mt. Pleasant students share their creative work at Youth Art Month Exhibit

MT. PLEASANT - The Henry County Courthouse transformed into the Louvre this past Sunday as art pieces by local students were displayed on its walls in honor of Youth Art Month.

Students were invited to bring family and friends to an opening reception over the weekend to enjoy the exhibit.

Kassie Phanthouvong, a ninth-grader from Mt. Pleasant High School, brought her parents to see her self-portrait. For Phanthouvong, her piece is the first that has been featured as part of the Youth Art Month display.

'It's really nice. It's like you're achieving something, it's kind of like moving to another level,” she said.

The high schooler said doing the self-portrait project challenged her artistic skills and prompted her to creatively solve problems.

'The hardest part, I have to say, was putting the right features to make it look like you. We also did a bit of shading and with that, if it doesn't look right, you just try to go with it. You use your best judgment and go with the art,” she said.

Phanthouvong added she's considering a career in art and hopes to continue taking classes throughout her high school career.

'I just enjoy drawing and expressing myself through art,” she said.

Fellow ninth-grader Abbie Stocker, who visited the Court House Sunday afternoon with her family, said art is a major passion for her.

'I just love drawing and working with the materials I have in my hands,” she said, 'I get to put down what I envision in my head on paper and in any other class, I can't do that. I love drawing. I love everything that involves color, especially in art, so it's like bringing a vision to life.”

Stocker had several pieces displayed throughout the exhibit. She said her greatest inspiration is her family and pointed to a pastel painting that depicted a cross on a field as one of her favorites.

'Both of my grandmas are very religious and I wanted to do something for them. I represent family in my art pieces. That's what brings me to do them the most. The cross is for my grandmas. They love the sunset and the flowers on the hills,” she said.

Jacob Pollimeier, a fourth-grader from Harlan Elementary School, used his art to pay tribute to a beloved family pet. Pollimeier, along with his classmates, made ceramic cups with animal faces.

'I had a dog that looked exactly like this and the day before we painted, my dog died. So I painted it like my dog - blue eyes and black and white,” he explained.

With over 300 featured pieces, many students and their families made a stop at the courthouse to see not only their own art but those of students across the district as well. Michele Peterson, visual arts instructor for Mt. Pleasant Middle School said the display is a great way to see how students' art skills progress through the grade levels.

'It's fun to watch my past students who are now in high school. I love seeing the art work from kindergarten all the way up to our advanced placement classes just to see the progression of the work,” she said.

Peterson added that the display is a great way to help build confidence for students.

'It makes them feel special and hopefully it encourages them to continue to be creative and develop their artistic voice,” she said.