The Kimball Art Center is obsessed with change.
Running alongside the exhibit “Under Construction: The Work of Lewis Baltz and Rodrigo Valenzuela,” — see page B-2 — which looks at the evolution of Park City, is the annual Wasatch Back Student Art Show, which features works inspired by change.
Both shows run through May 26, and the student art show showcases more than 300 pieces that were created by local students from Summit and Wasatch counties, said KAC Education Outreach Coordinator Emma Lynch.
“We have art from 166 individual students, plus works form students in grades kindergarten through fifth who participated in our Elementary Visual Arts program from Parley’s Park, McPolin and Trailside elementary schools,” she said.
They all have to come up with a title for their works, and they need to create their own artist statements.”
Emma Lynch, Kimball Art Center education outreach coordinator
The theme was inspired by the works created by Batlz and Valenzuela, said Heather Stamenov, Kimball Art Center education director.
“We thought that would be an appropriate parallel to invite kids to think about what change means to them,” she said. “As we started talking with the students, we found that the topic could be about landscape, development and other different things. And we liked that, because it allowed the kiddos to think.”
The E.V.A. students submitted works that depicted the past, the present and what the students would like to see in the future, Stamenov said.
“Their assignment was to look at Lewis Batlz’s work and his documentation of Park City and then create their own little construction of Park City,” she said. “Each class made a little neighborhood out of upcycled boxes that showed things they liked in Park City or things they wanted to see in Park City in the future. There are some fantastic new restaurants, a stadium and a shelter, which isn’t for animals, but humans. The kids have a lot of insight into what they notice in town.”
Some of the high school students and members of the Kimball Art Center’s Young Artist Academy (Y.A.A.) took a more personal approach to their works, Stamenov said.
“There are a lot of self portraits that depict changes within themselves, within the community and the acceptance of certain issues and topics,” she said. “Some of these self portraits showed them looking into mirrors and other reflective surfaces.”
The student art was curated by Emma Lynch, Kimball Art Center’s education outreach coordinator, who was surprised by the variety and diversity of the mediums.
“We have video works, photographs, collages and sculptures, and within each piece, you can see how each student views change in their own way,” she said. “That was so awesome to see because there were so many different approaches to this one idea.”
Lynch enjoyed getting to know the students through their works.
“We take the time to examine each piece in order to find that perfect spot to hang it, either next to their classmates’ works or other students’ works,” she said.
All of the art for the show was created over the past year, Stamenov said.
“Emma and Kimball Art Center Curator Nancy Stoaks communicated with the schools at the beginning of the school year and told them the theme,” she said. “In fact, Park City Day School has this written in their curriculum.”
Not only does the Wasatch Back Student Art Show give students a chance to be creative. It also gives them a professional platform to exhibit their works, Lynch said.
“They all have to come up with a title for their works, and they need to create their own artist statements,” she said. “And that gives them a chance to maybe see what it can be like to be a professional artist in the future.”
Showing a work of art is just as important as idealizing and creating a piece, Stamenov said.
“We teach the kiddos how to work with materials, think about ideas, problem solve and put those ideas into their works,” she said. “There’s that final step of taking their works out of the studios or classrooms and seeing them exhibit as finished pieces, which is a crucial part of being an artist. All of these works are showing in a place where the community can see them.”
Furthermore, the students who are part of the show, become part of the greater Kimball Art Center family, Stamenov said.
“They are today and they will be tomorrow, and that is so inspiring to see,” she said.
In addition to showcasing the art, the Wasatch Back Student Art Show also includes some interactive elements for the public, according to Lynch.
“We have a community photo submission program where we’re asking local residents or visitors to send us a photo that shows how Park City has changed,” she said. “We’ll go through those every two weeks and print out the photos and display them in one of our gallery spaces.”
Photos can be submitted by emailing [email protected], and Kimball Art Center volunteers are distributing flyers with a QR code throughout the town.
The other two interactive elements are geared more to children, Lynch said.
“For one, we’ve worked with the Park City Museum and have selected some historic photos of Park City from the 1880s to the present,” she said. “We’re asking kids to caption the photo or create their own stories as to what is happening inside and outside the photo’s margins.”
The last interactive portion has to do with foam mats and building blocks, Lynch said.
“We’ll lay out mats on the floor where kids can use the blocks, tiny trees and animals, to build the buildings and shapes they see in Park City or in the photos of the ‘Under Construction’ exhibit,” she said.