Students, parents, teachers and art lovers are all smiles at last year’s Visual Arts Competition awards ceremony and artist reception. This year’s student artwork is on display Feb. 14 – Mar. 14.
The Lamorinda Arts Council (LAC) showcases 2D, 3D, photography and digital design artworks created by high school students who live in or attend public, private or home schools in Orinda, Lafayette or Moraga at the Art Gallery at the Orinda Library. The Visual Arts Competition (VAC) exhibition will be on display from Feb. 14 to March 14. The public is invited to attend the free artist reception and awards ceremony on Feb. 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. when light refreshments will be served. The Stanley Jazz Ambassadors will entertain attendees with a medley of jazz tunes. Musicians include Riley Daggs on guitar, Dashiell Fabela on drums, Sean McFarlane on bass and Bram Sasner on piano.
All students who attend Acalanes High School District schools including Acalanes, Campolindo, Las Lomas and Miramonte High Schools are eligible for the competition regardless of residence. Past competitions included students from Bentley Upper School, the Orinda Academy, Holden High School and students being home schooled. About 200 works of art are expected.
The registration deadline is Feb. 8, at midnight (go to https://lamorindaarts.org/vac.); intake of artwork will take place on Feb. 12 from noon to 6 p.m. at the Art Gallery in the Orinda Library. Categories include: 2D artwork – paintings, drawings, printmaking, mixed media and collage; 3D artwork – ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, construction; and photography/digital design – traditional film and digital design.
The LAC awards cash prizes in each category, with four award levels: First Place $300, Second Place $200, Third Place $100 and Honorable Mention $25. The Best of Show award is $300. Professional artists judge the work based on creativity and originality; content; and degree of expertise in the chosen medium.
Without the Lamorinda high school art teachers, none of this would be possible. They put in hours of dedication to guide students through the process of creating, registering and preparing artwork for exhibition in a professional gallery. Join everyone at the artist reception and thank any teachers you meet for their encouragement of these young volunteers.
Denise Nomura, VAC event chair, expresses gratitude to fellow LAC member Jenny Staelin, board chairperson, and volunteers Lori Brook and Aniston-Maylee Breslin for their help. Co-sponsors of the event include Lafayette Partners in Education (LPIE), Moraga Education Foundation (MEF) and the Educational Foundation of Orinda (EFO).
Visit the Gallery at 26 Orinda Way during normal library hours – Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The library is closed on Feb. 18, President’s Day. Call 925-254-2184 for more information or visit http://ccclib.org.
