The 37th annual Exposures student art show is set to debut at the Northport Arts Association (NAA) on Friday, April 25, with the reception from 4 to 6:30 p.m. People will be able to view featured artwork once again on Saturday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Exposures, a Leelanau County student journal, is a collaborative project originally designed in 1988 to challenge Leelanau County students in grades 7-12 to express themselves through art and writing and provide a showcase for their work. Hundreds of various artwork in the form of poems, stories, paintings, drawings, and more are submitted every year for review. Approximately 151 student art pieces were selected this year though “to best represent the heartfelt thoughts, fears, dreams, and hopes of Leelanau County students.”
Deb Freed, project coordinator for Exposures, said her favorite part about seeing the student publication come together every year is working together with very creative teachers and community volunteers for a common cause, which is to recognize and highlight the talent of Leelanau County kids.
“I love hearing that our coordinators and students are excited to submit their work and see the magazine each year. I think people really look forward to the project because it is so fun and positive. Our students’ talents really shine through and I love seeing what they come up with every year – it’s always inspiring!” Freed said. “Exposures is always a bit of a puzzle to put together, but it always comes together so beautifully. It is inspiring to have a community project like this go on for so long. It’s the 37th year!”
Last year, the Exposures show was featured at the Old Art Building in Leland, but this year, artwork will be on display in Northport at NAA, a space Freed said they are excited about being in.
“Their (NAA) facility just keeps getting better and better and the volunteers there are amazing! They have also graciously agreed to have musicians from Leelanau School entertaining at the open house reception,” Freed said. “We’re also grateful to Northport School’s cafeteria staff for providing the snacks at the open house.”
Will Case has been a volun- teer Exposures art editor since 1999, and said on a daily basis, people are confronted with social issues, however, it’s amazing to see how student artists comment on current social situations through their work. Every year, he said editors look to identify what the common theme among student artwork is. Some years it could be divorce, loss, or another tragic event in their lives, but Case said it really indicates just how conscious, how aware, and how thankful and thoughtful so many students are.
“We make a presumption because they’re younger in the 8th grade or 9th grade that they don’t have the social awareness nor do they have the complex understanding to deal with tough situations, and one of the things I’ve learned from the students is that they’re amazingly adept at dealing with very difficult and sometimes, very rewarding situations,” Case explained. “I think that’s very important to never underestimate the value of a thought, and maturity has nothing to do with that thought. So it’s really important in looking at their artwork and to realize where they are, what they’ve done, what their experience is… Publication is recognition of their talent and their contribution and that’s very, very important.”
Jenee Rowe was previously published in Exposures when she was a student at Suttons Bay Public School and worked with Case and others this year as a volunteer art editor. As someone that has come full circle as a former featured student artist to now an Exposures art editor, she said one of the takeaways youth gain is the opportunity to share their creative endeavors and be recognized in the community for those things.
“Some people are really shy with their creative endeavors and this is an opportunity for people with all kinds of talent to make it and submit it and hopefully they feel supported,” Rowe said. “It’s a real heartening experience to get to see all this different, beautiful visual art. These days, I think it can be kind of rough out there for people, and it’s really hopeful to see students work and it’s inspiring to see students honesty, bravery, courage, beauty and selfexpression… I really invite people to come to the opening — and for families to bring your students, we want to shake their hands and say hi and thank them for submitting, it’s pretty cool.”
Allison Duperon crocheted this dress, worn at St. Mary’s homecoming. Courtesy photo
