SVVSD hosting district-wide student art show at the Boulder County Fairgrounds

The St. Vrain Unframed Art Show is happening now until Sunday, April 20, at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Exhibition Hall. The event showcases student artwork from all 55 schools in the St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD), including creations from students attending Niwot Elementary School, Sunset Middle School and Niwot High School.

The art show is open to the public daily, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The event features student art from all grade levels and their use of different mediums, including ceramics, digital art/photography, drawing, jewelry making, metalwork, mixed media, painting, and printmaking.

The art show's organizer, Janay Bird, a fine arts coordinator with SVVSD, said the art show was organized by school feeder patterns, similar to how students advance through elementary, middle school, and high school in the different regions of the district.

"What I love about our art show is that you truly get to see all of this culminating creativity from students as little as preschool all the way through their senior year. And it's just really neat that it's all in one place," said Bird.

For the selection process, Bird said every school chooses differently what artwork from their student body will be part of the show. Bird explained that some schools have a goal of making sure every single student has artwork in the show, whereas teachers from high schools traditionally pick pieces that either demonstrate advanced skills and techniques or highlight seniors who have been part of their program all four years.

Sebastian Moy, a Niwot senior, is one student whose work is on display. Moy's art depicts the ongoing characteristics and realities of climate change.

Moy described one of his pieces depicting pollution and greenhouse gases as having a chokehold on earth, with the other images representing the issues of invasive species, animal trade, and deforestation.

During March, Moy's climate change work was featured at The Old Oak Coffeehouse in Niwot as part of the coffee shop's senior art showcase.

With a goal of attending the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California and pursuing studies in entertainment design, Moy said, "I just like to show the subject matter, in the most interesting way possible."

On Thursday, April 17 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., the district's art show will include an Artists' Night Open House where the art is awarded with ribbons by SVVSD. Bird said the open house is an evening where teachers greet and celebrate their students and their families.

Bird commented that the art show is an opportunity to bring attention to art that is not as public facing as music and the performing arts. "So we love this event because it really gives a chance for not only parents and our students, but our other teachers, our community members, to come see what else is another thing that is important to our students in their well-rounded education," she said.

"It's awesome to just wander and fill your cup by seeing the amazing things that our students have created," said Bird.