Columbus students make masterpieces

“Touching Tomorrow Today,” an art exhibit that showcases 36 pieces of original student artwork is currently on display at Grange Insurance, 650 S. Front Street. This exhibit is an initiative of the Twin Rivers Chapter of the Links, Inc. and marks the fourth annual event for Twin Rivers, where African-American students from Columbus Public Schools and colleges from central Ohio showcase their artwork. The exhibit will run through February 25, 2005 at Grange, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The pieces were judged on originality, quality of work and use of media. The top three winners at both the college and high school level received scholarship dollars. College level category winners are: Brent Payne, who received the $1,000 scholarship award; Daryl Leathers who received $500; and Antonio Moton who earned the $350 scholarship award. All three students attend Columbus College of Art and Design.

In the high school level category, Joshua Green received $500; and Shauna Saunders earned $350. Both are Columbus Public Schools students attending Fort Hayes Art and Academic High School.
“This is an opportunity for us to highlight young talent in the area of the visual arts, while providing scholarship dollars to those who earn the distinction of the top three artists,” said Pat Huggard, president of the Twin Rivers Chapter.
Grange Insurance has sponsored this event for the last four years, providing the exhibit space and the opening reception. The judges for the exhibit were local art experts, Terry Anderson, director of education for the Columbus Arts Council; Lyn Logan Grimes, education director for the King Arts Complex and Preference Evans, a graduate student in Art Education at The Ohio State University.

The Twin Rivers Chapter of the Links, Inc., is a volunteer local women’s service organization, committed to youth development, national and international involvement related to supporting third world countries, particularly Africa, art enrichment and education and health. The chapter has devoted time and/or financial support to a number of local institutions including the Columbus Public Schools, the Child Development Center of Franklin County and the King Arts Complex.

Compiled by Columbus Post staff.