Youth Arts Show

The Youth Arts Show

The Youth Art Exhibition spotlights the best artistic talents of young people from our area schools.

This year’s Exhibit featured paintings, drawings, three-dimensional pieces, and more – all originals.

View the Show

149 student artworks were installed at the DeVos Place Convention Center for this years Youth Arts Exhibition. The exhibition showcased 28 schools from 13 different districts in the surrounding Grand Rapids area.

The Festival Youth Art Exhibit was on display throughout this year Festival 2022 at the DeVos Place Convention Center. Our jurors were Nathan Kemler and Joel Zwart from GVSU Art Gallery. GVSU Department of Visual and Media Arts was the sponsor for the Youth Art Awards. ASM Global was our reception sponsor.

Congratulations to our Award Recipients

Middle School – Sadie Debski, Take It Easy, 7th grade, North Rockford Middle School

Elementary School – Ryann Young, Stripes, 1st grade, Evergreen Elementary School

Middle School – Garrett Hyink, Fruit Still Life, 7th grade, East Rockford Middle School

Elementary School – Spencer Chadderdon, Self Portrait, 4th grade, Saranac

High School – Sophia Nelson, Panic, 11th grade, Byron Center High School

High School – Alejandro Martinez, Overnight Flood, 10th grade, City High Middle School

Drop Off Details

Once you’ve completed the entry form, artwork can be dropped off at

  • 2857 Burritt St NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504) by May 20th. I will have a few bins on my covered porch for them.
  • Allendale Early Childhood Center (10455 Timberline Dr, Allendale, MI 49401) ) by May 20th 4pm- Leave in the front office for me.
  • DeVos Place on Saturday, May 21 in the morning from 9-10am. We will be hanging the work (9am-12pm). If it is easier for your district, one person could also collect the artwork and bring it together. If you are able and willing to help hang artwork, please let me know. 

If you are able and willing to help hang artwork, contact Emily Miller. You could also collect the artwork for your district if you would like to bring it in a group.

Questions? Contact Emily Miller emily@festivalgr.org

Middle School – Sadie Debski, Take It Easy, 7th grade, North Rockford Middle School

Pick Up

Artwork will be taken down at the end of Festival on Sunday, June 5th at 4:00pm. You can help take down the exhibition and take your artwork home, or pick them up from my house any day after. Your students can also stop in and take their own artwork home on Sunday.

Our GVSU Jurors

We are lucky to partner with Grand Valley State University’s Department of Visual and Media Arts to sponsor our awards. We will again be having one for each elementary, middle, and high school. Our two jurors this year are staff from Grand Valley State University’s Art Gallery: Nathan Kemler and Joel Zwart.