Public viewing will take place from 4 to 6 p.m., with light refreshments and entertainment by the Kingsford High School Jazz Band. The reception and awards program will begin at 6 p.m. in the gym.

This is an incredible collaborative event that celebrates the creativity, talent, and hard work of art students from nine area school districts, including Florence, Forest Park, Goodman, Iron Mountain, Kingsford, Niagara, Norway, Pembine, and West Iron, KHS art teacher Sarah Western said.

The show will feature more than 600 pieces from area high school art students in a wide variety of mediums, including watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings; pencil, ink, charcoal and graphite drawings; 3-D sculptures; macrame; and digital.

This year’s theme, “Among the Stars,” is inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night.”

A pencil drawing done by Fynnly Ketola of Forest Park High School. (Contributed photo)

During the program, 50 students will receive Merit Awards, along with the announcement of Best in Show and People’s Choice honors.

Judges representatives from the University of Michigan, Northern Michigan University, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and University of Wisconsin-Stout will be present.

The public is also encouraged to vote for their favorite piece during the two-hour viewing period, with ballots counted and winners announced live at the event, Western said.

Students interested in pursuing an art-related field in college may also be eligible for scholarships based on portfolio reviews.

These portfolio reviews allow students to present their work before a panel of college representatives.

Kingsford High School student Izzy Richtig displays one of her a oil pastel portraits. (Contributed photo)

“This is a great opportunity for students to receive feedback on their work from art professionals outside of their school,” she said.

Participating colleges will also have representatives and information tables set up during the exhibition.

“It’s incredible to see how talented these students are,” she said. “They put so much time, effort and passion into their work, and they truly care about what they create.”

The ASA was established during the 1993-94 school year to connect high school art students with the community and promote art education.

The idea gained momentum when Joe Stevens, owner of Steven’s Decorating, noticed the high quality of student artwork coming into his shop for framing and wanted to recognize the students’ creativity and effort.

West Iron County High School student Peyton Hill works on his metal smithing skills. (Contributed photo)

Stevens collaborated with art teachers from Iron Mountain and Kingsford to develop the program. Founding members included

art teachers Wayne Wilson, KHS; Deb Chartier, IMHS; Shelly Danielson, Norway High School; and Todd Worple, Florence County High School. Betsy Holster, IMHS, and Tim Zablocki, North Dickinson County, also joined the organization in its early stages.

Community members Elsa Brule and Sashi Mahadev helped sustain the effort by funding the Artist of the Month luncheons at the Chippewa Club for participating students and teachers. Brule also launched the easel program in partnership with Don Khory of Khory Manufacturing.

Today, the Association of Student Artists hosts five “Artist of the Month” luncheons each school year, where students gather for lunch, a viewing and critique session, and a presentation by a featured guest artist.

While each school uses its own voting process, all submissions are judged anonymously, with no names attached to the artwork.

ASA also expressed appreciation for the support it has received over the years, including members of the Chippewa Club who help fund the “Artist of the Month” luncheons, as well as the Chippewa Club for hosting the events. Additional thanks were extended to Tamara Juul of the Dickinson County Community Foundation and Jon Pryor of First Bank.

“We are very thankful to all the businesses and individuals who cherish the arts as much as we do,” she said. “We want to keep this alive.”

The community is encouraged to attend the event and see the students’ talents firsthand.

“The Art Student Association is really a unique and special organization,” Western said. “Our mission is to promote, encourage and validate the study of art and the creative process for students.

The viewing is free to the public. Donations will be welcomed at the door.

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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.