PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — More than 100 students, parents and teachers gathered at the School District of Philadelphia’s headquarters Friday to celebrate its 68th Young Artists Exhibition.
A fashion show took place and walls across the building were covered in about 2,000 pieces of artwork representing grades K-12 from more than 150 schools.
Alana Khavinson was one of the student artists recognized for her work.
“Honestly, it’s incredible, cause I never thought in a million years I would experience this, and today was honestly mind-blowing … and I’m very happy,” Khavinson said.
Khavinson took home two awards for her portrait and still-life work.
“I like to do my view of the world. I like expressing myself through what I see in my eyes,” she said.
Lynette Brown-Edwards, who helped organize the exhibit, says that’s the point of this year’s show.
“The theme is Weaving Narratives — it’s about exploration and expression, and I think it’s a really timely theme for students making meaning of their life experiences, and also students sharing their voices,” Brown-Edwards said.
Northeast High School senior Victor Cava De Oliveira, who started drawing when he was 10, also won an award for his portrait work.
“People came to me some years ago saying that I couldn’t be an artist. So this, for me, is proof that I can make [it]. I can be an artist in the future, and the doors are not closed to me,” De Oliveira said.
He mentioned that someday, he’d like to follow the path of his AP art teacher, Jose Sebourne.
“It’s an important thing for all these kids to see their work in this light,” Sebourne said. “It just gives them a greater purpose, which is what a lot of these kids need right now.”
