‘It’s their chance to shine’

LEOMINSTER — Opening night of the 16th annual citywide Youth Art Show drew large crowds of people who came out to take in the creative talent of hundreds of talented young artists.

Students in grades one through 12 proudly showed off their work to their parents and loved ones at the March 13 event held at City Hall. The show that runs through March 25 features drawings, paintings, sculptures and mixed media by students from Northwest, Frances Drake, Johnny Appleseed, and Fall Brook elementary schools, Sky View and Samoset middle schools, Leominster High School (LHS), St. Leo School, and St. Anna School.

Mayor Dean Mazzarella kept up the tradition of interviewing students live for his “Inside Leominster” television show on opening night and people milled around admiring everything on display. A variety of mediums were utilized to create unique art pieces — colored pencil, graphite, watercolor, acrylic, and oil paints, pastels, pen and ink, and more.

St. Leo’s School art teacher Cheryl Valeria chatted with her students and praised them.

“They are so excited, they put so much effort into their work,” she said. “It’s their chance to shine.”

Longtime LHS art teacher and department head Shelly Saben gushed about her student Ren Patel’s pieces, which numbered 15 and were prominently displayed on the stage along with other AP art students’ work. Saben said Ren is the first student ever to take two AP art classes in one year, both studio and drawing.

Eighteen-year-old LHS senior Sylvia Masi talked about her pieces, which were inspired by the sustained investigation topic question “What lies beyond Earth?” and included a painting of Venus, the goddess of love.

“I really like space and there’s so many endless possibilities with it, it’s very intriguing,” said the AP studio student who wants to be an artist for her career and enjoys trying out new mediums.

“I don’t want to limit myself to one medium,” Masi continued, adding that she crochets a lot and was wearing a crossbody crocheted bag she made.

LHS art teachers Nathan Arbour and Linnea Romhanyi along with Saben are part of the crew of art teachers from across the district and city who are involved with the show including Sherri Blouin, Candice Churchill, Paula Gravelle, Gabrielle Gomez, Melanie Kelly, Alyssa Serafini, and Valera.

“We all work together to put on the show,” Arbour said.

He went on to say he enjoys seeing the student’s art on display and that for him as an art teacher, “it’s fulfilling to help students develop problem solving skills”

“The creativity that is expressed in art classes helps students in other subject areas by unleashing their imaginations to visualize solutions,” said Arbour, who has been a Leominster Public Schools art teacher for over a decade. “Students gain so much confidence when they see the results of their hard work and that confidence becomes a building block for future success in whatever they choose to do.”