Celebrating 38 Years of Student Creativity at the Young Artists’ Conference

Posted On Wednesday May 07, 2025
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Principal Jayne Latta and Superintendent Rhonda Nixon at Young Artists’ Gallery Opening

Story provided by Chelsea Isenor, Director of Communications and Board Administration

Last week, the Kamloops-Thompson School District celebrated the 38th annual Young Artists’ Conference—a vibrant showcase of creativity, talent, and passion from students in Grades 4 through 7.

Since 1987, the Young Artists’ Conference has provided a unique opportunity for students to share their artistic voices, engage in hands-on workshops, and connect with professional artists and educators.

On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, this year’s Young Artists’ Conference brought together over 120 aspiring artists from across the District. During the day, students attended workshops at Thompson Rivers University, exploring a wide variety of art forms—including Métis sash making, wood burning, monotype printing, watercolor painting, photography, and birch bark art, to name just a few—under the guidance of local professional artists and community educators. Later that day, the students’ selected artwork was unveiled at the Young Artists’ Gallery Grand Opening at Old Courthouse on Seymour Street, where families, teachers, District staff, and community members gathered to celebrate the students' creativity and hard work.

Superintendent Rhonda Nixon reflected on the event’s impact: “My favorite thing about coming here is that all the students use different media. When you read the descriptions and talk with the young artists, what I’m really impressed by is the depth of who they are—exploring their favorite subjects and emotions, including sadness, joy, and passion.”

These inspiring young artists work on their art pieces in the months leading up to the conference. Their work is then adjudicated by the Young Artists Committee and selected to be displayed at the artist gallery at the Old Courthouse. This year, out of over 120 selected artworks 21 student artists were presented with Honours Awards and their works will be displayed at the School Board Office throughout the 2025–2026 school year.

Grade 6 student Bristol Tolentino from Kamloops School of the Arts (KSA) won an Honours Award for her deeply personal piece ‘Bully in the Head’. “It’s a dark silhouette surrounded by pressuring words,” Bristol explained. “My piece was originally going to focus on the feeling of losing a loved one, but I didn't like it so I decided to start over and focus on what I was thinking about while making it—like ‘this isn't good enough, it doesn't look good’—to focus on awareness about what imposter syndrome feels like.” The layered texture and raw emotion in her work left a powerful impression.

Another Honours Award recipient, Amelia Pavluk, a Grade 5 student at KSA, created a mixed-media sculpture called ‘Fishies’, inspired by her father’s saltwater aquarium. “I made clay fish and animals and filled the bottom with sand… I covered it with resin and then I kept doing that to create layers.” she said. “I’m proud of how it turned out.”

Grade 5 artist Allie Don from McGowan Park Elementary submitted ‘A World Full of Wonder… And Lots of Lipstick’, a playful yet heartfelt piece combining watercolor, markers, and pencil crayon based on a personal memory. “I like to think of my art as a reflection of my childhood,” she shared. “I based this piece on a picture of me when I was a kid putting my mom’s lipstick on. I thought it was a really good memory so I wanted to share it.”

For Grade 4 student Ember Forte from David Thompson Elementary, inspiration came from the natural world. Her pencil drawing, ‘A Unique Fox’, focused on creating realistic textures and depth. “I like foxes because they remind me of the forest,” she shared. “And I like pencil because it’s forgiving — you can always erase and try again. The best thing about drawing is that it's something where people can express themselves and it makes me happy.”

Veteran participant Kaya Killi, a Grade 7 student from Arthur Stevenson Elementary, submitted ‘3D Fire and Ice’, a piece with striking fire and ice spikes made of dry clay and acrylics that build on her previous artwork submitted last year. “With this being my last year, I thought I would do something better and bigger,” said Kaya, who has participated every year since Grade 4. “I feel very accomplished and happy with how it turned out.”

Young Artist Committee Chair Jayne Latta highlighted how the event continues to evolve: “Over the past 38 years, we’ve seen incredible growth — especially in digital art and photography. These kids are working with professional artists, developing skills, and exploring their creativity in new ways.”

The Young Artists’ Conference is more than an art show, it's a celebration of creative minds, an opportunity for self-expression, and an investment in the next generation of creators. As part of the District’s 2022–2027 Strategic Plan, which prioritizes developing students’ multiliteracies as part of the Intellectual Development Priority, this event offers students a chance to find their artistic voice and explore creative pathways.

KSA arts teacher Karim Sadik summarized it best: “These are all original artworks and completely student driven. We’re celebrating the fact that we have lots of creative minds in our schools. The conference gives them a day outside the classroom to enjoy their passion.”

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