Whiz Kids: More Than A Half Dozen Creve Coeur Area Students Have Art On Display

This week, all of our whiz kids have their key to awesomeness in common: They're being honored for their art.

The is celebrating its 35th year in a tradition that gives area students the spotlight in the historic building's galleries. 

The kicked off Friday night and used both floors of the venue at 2 Oak Knoll Park for the two-hour opening. High school artists and their parents, along with friends and community members, packed into the galleries to view 160 artistic paintings, prints, photos and sculptures selected from a field of 333.

"I love it," Gallery Director Gina Alvarez said. "They're amazing. They're interesting. They can do a lot of things professional artists have forgotten about because they don't know any better ... A lot of the credit should go to the teachers."

The opening reception filled the entire parking lot. In the artistic spirit of the evening, a few creative visitors even made their own parking spaces. Alvarez estimated 600 people attended the opening, a higher figure than in the other two years she has coordinated the showcase.

"There's a lot of art here that's beyond the years of the artists," Executive Director Michael Hunt said. "What impresses me about this exhibit is the talent of the high school students and the amount of support they get from the teachers and the parents."

The suggested donation for the exhibit series is just $1. The Young Artists' Showcase runs through May 6. Visitors may come from noon to 4 p.m. on any day of the week but Monday.

We invite you to scroll through our photo gallery to see the efforts of students from , , , , , , and .