Many local students are getting the chance to show off their artistic skills as the Student Art Show reception was held on Jan. 10 at the Clark Fork Valley Hospital near Plains.

The show, which began in 2009, is sponsored by the Sanders County Arts Council, Clark Fork Valley Hospital and the schools in Sanders County.

“The show this year has 200 pieces of art. It has become so large that we unfortunately had to start limiting the number of pieces students can enter into the show,” organizer Joy Nelson said.

Several area schools had student artwork in the show, including Clark Fork Christian Co-Op, Hot Springs Schools, Plains Elementary (kindergarten, grades 1-4, sixth grade), Thompson Falls High School and Plains High School.

The show features a variety of two-dimensional art pieces (drawings, paintings and photographs), but also several 3-D sculptures, which are exhibited on tables in a small room.

One of the 3-D sculptures is “Sunrise to Night,” by Thompson Falls freshman Drew Stewart.

Much of the art created by Plains High School art students was done with the help of student teacher Lacey Hermiston, who was being mentored by the art teacher at Plains High School, Kristen Cole.

“The three-dimensional art was new this year, as many students have worked mainly in two-dimensional art,” Cole said. “Many of the students really liked and the ideas Lacey Hermiston had given them.”

One of the students who created something unique with her artwork was Ivy Richards, a senior at Plains High School.

“Miss Hermiston inspired me to do an acrylic on a wooden panel. It took me 10 hours to do,” Richards said. “The most challenging part was the wood drying faster and it soaked up the paint a lot quicker. Before this, I was working on canvas. I have done acrylic for four years.”

Her artwork, titled “Captain Sparrow,” had many adults and students commenting on it as being “amazing.”

Mikayla Mueller, a junior at Hot Springs High School, had three pieces of art on display. Two of her works are in graphite and one was created using acrylic.

Her artwork titled “Stay” is done on canvas in several bright colors, which appear to jump out of the medium.

“This took me three days to complete. I really like the old retro comic style,” Mueller said. “I really like the one of Audrey Hepburn I did in graphite. That is my favorite one. She was very classy.”

As for her choice of medium, Mueller said it was the ability to use light and shadow that helped make her choice.

“I am obsessed with graphite. I like how you can blend the shadows and bring out the dimensions,” she said.

Mueller is considering going to school in Dillon to become a secondary English teacher and a secondary art teacher.

“I have begun working more on my portfolio,” she said.

The Student Art Show is on display in the main lobby of the Clark Fork Valley Hospital during regular business hours through March 20.

Reporter Douglas Wilks can be reached at dwilks@vp-mi.com or 406-826-3402.