This Spring Rochester is playing host to its very own art show. Now, this is nothing new for us, the Rochester Art Center has hosted many art shows in the past. What makes this one special, however, is that it will showcase art made exclusively by the students of Rochester Public Schools (RPS). The title of the art show will be “Ageless Art,” and was decided on by Mayo High School’s Graphic Arts II class. The show will be held in the Rochester Arts Center, which is a gallery for contemporary art, connected to the Civic Center.

 The art showcased will be made by all varieties of art students from RPS, containing art from all schools, as well as grades kindergarten through twelfth. The gallery will be free to view for any student or their family who has a piece in the show. Additionally, it will be free to anyone under twenty-one years of age, but anyone who is over will be charged five dollars as an admission fee. 

The gallery will open to the public on Wednesday, April thirteenth through Sunday, May fifteenth. There will also be an open house on Saturday, April twenty-third, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, which will be free and open to the public! The regular gallery hours will be from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 AM to 4 PM. Thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, and a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund this event can be held in town and at relatively low prices. 

This will be the first event of its kind in the art center for Rochester and its students. It will house art from all walks of life in the youth of Rochester. It is a giant leap forward for the inclusion of RPS artists, especially considering that they are planning on making this a yearly event. 

The entire idea that RPS hopes to bring forward is to simply showcase the new artwork. People aren’t going out of their way to go to classrooms and see what kids are currently working on. When asked what she hopes to accomplish with this gallery, Mayo High School graphic arts teacher Mrs. Oie said,” My hope is to bring more community awareness to the art and creativity that is being made throughout Rochester Public Schools. This can serve as an opportunity to delightfully showcase the talent that flows through our classrooms.”