A Springdale fifth grader is featured in the Young Arkansas Artists exhibit at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock through July 26.
Xander Madsen, a Jim D. Rollins Elementary School of Innovation student, is one of 52 Arkansas K-12 students to have work showcased at the museum.
“As a first grader, I was invited to exhibit in this same show, and that's what propelled me into the art world,” said Springdale art teacher Shelley Hardin. “I still have my artwork that was exhibited!”
Hardin said Young Arkansas Artists is the longest-running student art exhibit in the state.
“It's quite exclusive,” she said.
This year’s exhibition features four works per grade for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The chosen artwork was selected by a panel of museum and art professionals.
Xander’s piece is titled “Where Mountain Meets Sky” and is 9-by-12-inch, black and white, pen and ink drawing featuring a mountain range that’s dotted with trees a single evergreen soaring into the sky of a setting sun.
Now in its 65th year, the exhibition continues its tradition of honoring the imagination and talent of students and educators across the state. This milestone recognizes generations of young artists whose work reveals the exploration and determination that begin in the classroom and extend far beyond it.
The exhibition also highlights Arkansas art educators, who play a central role in this legacy, the website said. Their guidance shapes students’ skills, nurtures creativity and inspires young artists to pursue their ideas with confidence, according to the website. The selected artwork demonstrates the breadth of artistic expression found throughout Arkansas and the innovative, thoughtful approaches students bring to every medium.