Malia Shinbori's "Moo" in “Miles on the Brush" at the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy -- through June 16.
Through Thursday, June 16
Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy, 2967 State Street, Bettendorf IA
Beautiful works by a half-dozen gifted student artists will be on display at the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy through June 16, with the talents of high-school seniors celebrated in a Friday-evening opening reception and two-week display of Miles on the Brush.
The young artists showcased in the latest exhibition at the Bettendorf venue include: Martha Barnds (Davenport Central High School); Grace Hopkins (Davenport Central High School); Brennan Korczak (Pleasant Valley High School); Malia Shinbori (Bettendorf High School); Lily Tackett (Davenport Central High School); and Madelyn Young (home-schooled).
"June is typically the Student Art Show at Beréskin’s gallery," said gallery owner and instructor Pat Beréskin, "and this year we have focused on the investment of time in talent. These students have been attending classes once a week during the school calendar year for many years and finding ways to expand their creative thinking. My advanced-level students undertook some intensive challenges represented in this exhibition, with great effort. It is an honor to be their teacher.”
Three of the six students applied for and received the prestigious 2022 Brand-Boeshaar Scholarships from the Figge Art Museum: Barnds, Hopkins, and Shinbori. Works from their winning portfolios will be presented at the June 3 reception, and in recounting her first meeting with Barnds at age five, Beréskin stated, "When she walked into my classroom, she was 85 pounds of confidence wrapped in a 45-pound body. She quickly took her seat and presented me with five drawings she created in her 'home studio.' This five-year-old said, 'I like to set up still lifes in my basement and draw them.' That was the first day I met Martha Barnds. She has attended classes for 13 years" since.
Shinbori, meanwhile, was asked if she would have any advice for younger art students in the community, and said, “If I were to give advice to any young artists, I would recommend criticizing your own work along with your peers’, taking risks, trying new mediums, and learning from your mistakes so that you can become a better artist with every new piece. Moreover, I would stray away from procrastinating; speaking from first-hand experience, because all that will do is make finishing a piece even harder. I have learned many life lessons and skills along the way. Without Mrs. B, I would have never discovered my passion for art, or imagined a creative career in my future.”
Miles on the Brush will be on display through June 16, and patrons are also invited to view works in the Bettendorf venue's current exhibition It's All Greek to Me: Island Impressions by Robert Zeidler. Regular gallery hours are Tuesdays through Fridays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and more information is available by calling (563)508-4630 and visiting BereskinArtGallery.com.
