A new exhibition at the McMillan Arts Centre (MAC) in Parksville highlights the talent of the young artists who reside in District 69.
Young at Art features a variety of artwork created by students from Ballenas Secondary School (BSS) and Parksville Alternate Secondary School (PASS).
This is the second year for the exhibition and thanks to the efforts of some hardworking students it was able to go ahead.
The withdrawal of extracurricular activities by teachers in protest of Bill 22 meant that art teachers could not help co-ordinate the event. In fact, this year artwork by students at Kwalikum Secondary School is not included because of the labour dispute.
With no teachers to pull the event together, BSS Grade 12 student Kat Wawrykow took on the project with some help from fellow Grade 12 student Jenna Bentzen.
Wawrykow was recently honoured by the Parksville Legion for the Legion’s Remembrance Day poster contest.
She will be heading to Oakville Ontario in the fall where she has been accepted into Sheridan University for Art Fundamentals.
She said when she was asked by a member of the Oceanside Community Arts Council to help make the exhibition happen she was more than happy to assist.
Wawrykow said young artists in the community need support and encouragement.
“I think this is an important show and this place has been supporting youth art so I took it on,” she admitted and added, “It is important that kids get recognized for the amazing work they do.”
Amazing work indeed, which includes drawings, paintings, collages as well as sculptures and mixed media that will be exhibited in all three galleries until May 26.
Wawrykow’s sketches are part of the exhibit, but she also has some magazines on display that she has been publishing since the start of the school year.
The magazines can also be found on-line and are connected to an internet business in which Wawrykow sells vintage clothing.
The brainchild of Wawrykow, uncultured.storenvy.com is a place to buy quirky used clothing and hand made accessories.
The young entrepreneur said she hunts through thrift stores for great finds, cleans them up, photographs them and then sells them on-line.
“I have sold to people in the U.S.,” she admitted and said it is a great way to earn money.
“It’s hard to get work around here, especially for a young person.”
Wawrykow will also be selling hand made hair accessories created by her fellow classmate Grade 12 student Kimiko Fraser.
If that isn’t enough, the artist also writes a fashion blog.