Students from Charlotte County will have artwork on display at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts.

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Students from Charlotte County and across the region will have their work on display for everyone to see, coming next weekend. The Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA), in connection with the College of Education will hold a reception one week from this coming Sunday as part of this year’s Area Youth Art Exhibit. 

This is a tradition that stretched back more than 20 years. Each summer, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts and Longwood’s College of Education, Health, and Human Services partner on the project. One piece of artwork is selected from each of the schools that participate in LCVA’s “Start with Art, Learn for Life” project. The works selected for the highlights exhibition are then displayed on Longwood’s campus in the Hull Education building for one year.

This year, things open with a reception on Sunday, June 8, running from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. with work from Pre-K all through 12th grade. The work comes from 27 public and home schools in Amelia, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, and Prince Edward counties. 

Charlotte County drawing a spotlight

“Highlighting Virginia artists, no matter the age, is central to the LCVA’s mission,” said Alex Grabiec. She serves as the LCVA’s curator of exhibits. “I’m always impressed with the talent from the artists and dedication from their teachers.”

The centerpiece of this year’s exhibition is an installation called Virginia’s State Parks: Wild About Art! that will be on display in the LCVA’s Main Street Gallery. This installation was created by students from Cumberland County Elementary School with the help of their art teacher, Emily Overstreet.

The exhibition is on view June 8-September 21 during regular gallery hours Tuesday –Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday 1-5 p.m. The opening reception will be held Sunday, June 8, 2-4 p.m.