Aurora Kekel, a senior at Louisa County High School (LCHS), has made a name for herself within the art community with her piece “Floating,” a mixed-media work selected for the Virginia Art Education Association (VAEA) Central Region Youth Art Month Showcase. The exhibit was on display at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond throughout March in honor of Youth Art Month and included a reception on March 15.

Kekel, also known by her artistic alias Phoenix, embarked on her artistic journey at the start of the pandemic, with watercolor becoming her preferred medium.