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Local artwork shown

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The artwork of local artists, ranging from kindergartners to seniors in college, is now on display at Eastern New Mexico University’s Golden Library.

Staff photo: Alisa Boswell

Eastern New Mexico University has the K-ENMU Juried Art Show on display through March 25 in the Runnels Gallery at the Golden Library. The art show displays the artwork of kindergarten through college senior students throughout eastern New Mexico.

The 7th Annual Juried K through ENMU art show, displayed in conjunction with National Youth Art Month in March, received nearly 225 submissions this year, according to Runnels Gallery Manager Bryan Hahn of the ENMU Art Department.

“We are extremely pleased with the turnout to this year’s event,” said Hahn. “The quality of work continues to grow exponentially every year.”

The contest is free to enter each year, according to Hahn, and the only requirements are that the artist live within 200 miles of Eastern New Mexico University. Students in public school, private school and homeschooled were eligible.

Joe Strickland, federal programs director for Clovis schools, was one of about 72 artists to be chosen from submissions to display in the art show.

Strickland said he is what K through ENMU contest committee considers a “continuing senior,” because despite having a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s for integrating fine arts into curriculum, he has continued his art education, taking a sculpting class this semester at Clovis Community College where he also teaches part time.

Strickland said his art teacher, Gordon Canada, encouraged him to enter one of his sculpting pieces into the competition.

“I like to draw and paint. Sculpture was something new and that I’m not very comfortable with,” he said. “That’s why I took it. It was something to stretch myself with a little bit.”

“It was kind of an intimidating project to me at first, then the way it happens is interesting,” Strickland continued. “When I used to see sculptures, I used to think, how does someone have that inside their head ... To do it is a really interesting process, because it does kind of uncover itself as you go.

It’s really fascinating.”

Second-grader Demrie Jo Howard, 7, of James Elementary School in Portales, said her artwork was also chosen last year.

This year, she submitted a chalk drawing, “Northern Lights of Alaska,” that she drew for a class project.

Howard said when she was a toddler, her aunt, Ashley Richards, drew and colored with her almost every day.

Howard said although she does not have a lot of detailed memories of her aunt, who died in a car accident at the age of 21, that particular memory has stayed with her.

“My nina (her aunt) was always in the art show,” said Howard. “Every time she we would get back from dinner, we would always go back in the room and start coloring.”

Howard said she knows her aunt would be very proud of her for also being displayed in the K-ENMU show, “‘cause she loved me a lot.”

Grady schools fifth-grader Tristen Pool, 11, who submitted a painting of a buffalo for the competition, said he has been painting for two years.

“I really just wanted to enter for fun,” he said.

Pool said what he loves about doing art is “how you can be creative with it and do almost anything with it.”

The exhibition will be displayed in the Runnels Gallery through March 25 during regular Golden Library hours of operation. Admission is free and open to the public.

A public reception will be held in honor of the artists from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. March 25 in the Runnels Gallery, where awards for each division — elementary, junior high/middle school, high school and college — will be announced.

“Artists are given the opportunity to experience what a juried show is like, how it feels to have their work displayed in a professional gallery and the experience of selling their work if they so choose,” said Hahn. “The exhibition also gives an opportunity for the community to see what our young artists are creating.”

The following are the artists (by school) selected to be displayed in the seventh annual K-ENMU art show:

Eastern New Mexico University

• Alex R. Yee

• Angela Sanchez

• Brenna Simpson

• Dustin Brady

• Jessie Lorenza Ramirez

• Madison Barnard

• Sandra Hidalgo

• T. Sean Blossom

• Tatyana Scott

• TiAnna Griffin

• WayneAllen W. Mauldin

Clovis Community College

• Joe Strickland

Dora Elementary School

• Keisa Mullins

Elida Elementary

• Hadley Brown

• Hayden Brown

• Kembri Norman

• Levi Victor

• Tae Tabor

Elida Junior High School

• Jayce Victor

James Elementary School

• Aaliyah Dement

• Demrie Jo Howard

• Elizabeth Barlow

Valencia Elementary School

• Annika Jones

• Christian Pietzak

• Emiliano Marquez

• Kamron Heywood

• Travis Arthofer

Portales Junior High School

• Jordan Yria Gomez

• Megan Van Walraven

• Odalis Martinez

• Jackson Russell

Clovis Christian School

• Caleb Johannes VanBeek

• Kellen Lee Delk

• Kylee Delk

Clovis High School Freshman Academy

• Abymael Bernal

• Christian Crider

Marshall Middle School

• Josthen Perez

• Mark A. Garcia

Gattis Middle School

• Veronica Sudac Vickers

Parkview Elementary School

• Ashlee Mott

• Briana Mott

• Takota Ash

Mesa Elementary

• Joaquin Sanchez

Grady Public Schools

• Tristen Pool

Farwell High School

• Amarai Mikayla Foster

• Andrea Chavez

• Carley Johnson

• Matthew Ryan Dale

• Natalia Abigail Guerra-Nicolas

• Raquel S. Morales

• Sidney Barksdale

Melrose Elementary

• LaKenley Young

Fort Sumner High School

• Paige Burney

Muleshoe High School

• Allegra Fey

• Chris Flores

• Eduardo L. Elizalde

• Oliver Rodriguez

Watson Junior High School

• Aaliyah D. Rey

• Arturo Benavides

• Eli Macias

• Lylyana Castro

• Mildred Del Angel

Highland Middle School in Hobbs

• Aaliyah Benavidez

• Ivette Mata

• Keelie Owensby

• Tyana Franklin

Sudan High School in Sudan, Texas

• Elysia Espinoza

• Isaiah Montes

• Janie Delarosa

• Megan Capers

• Raemi Goen

• Sarah Pearson

 
 
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