The cheery, colourful artwork of children will be up on the walls this week in a newly created space - designed exclusively for kids - at the Port Moody Arts Centre (PMAC).
The first display, by Grade 5 students from Becky Greenhow's class at Aspenwood elementary school in Port Moody, will launch the new Children's Art Gallery.
Their portraits were produced during a workshop last December with Shari Pratt, PMAC's first visual artist-in-residence.
PMAC gallery assistant Erin Brown said the Children's Art Gallery will be located in the facility's boardroom on the main floor and there will be four exhibitions annually to highlight the artwork of School District 43 students.
"In its inaugural year, the Children's Art Gallery will feature only elementary school student artworks, but we hope to extend the program in the future to give the opportunity to a wider range of young artists," she told The Tri-City News.
The gallery will be the Tri-Cities' only space dedicated to children's art. Every January, Coquitlam's Evergreen Cultural Centre hosts a six-week exhibit of School District pieces; however, Emerging Talent is solely for Grade 12 art students and is juried by retired art teachers from SD43.
For the PMAC shows, youth will work with the gallery co-ordinator as well as exhibiting artists to fashion a series.
The aim is to give students a chance to learn from professional artists, to express themselves artistically and to see their pieces displayed in a public setting.
And each exhibit will have an opening reception, Brown said.
The Children's Art Gallery officially opens on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. The Aspenwood student show runs until April 21 at the Port Moody Arts Centre (2425 St. Johns St.).
