Sweet Briar exhibit highlights budding Amherst artists

Mallory Barber, “Miss Mitch-Match,” fourth grade, Temperance Elementary School (Ms. Balint) and
Kaylynn Gardner, Sugar Bowl, 10th grade, Amherst High School (Mr. Emmert)


An exhibition showcasing art by local children, “Sweet Briar Celebrates Amherst II,” will open at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 17, with a reception in Benedict Gallery. The exhibition is on view through April 24 and is free and open to the public.

It’s the last art show in Benedict Gallery this semester, notes galleries director Karol Lawson, and a follow-up to “Sweet Briar Celebrates Amherst I.” While the former focused on just one artist, “Amherst II” will feature works by children of all ages from Amherst County Public Schools, selected by each school’s art teacher.

Under Lawson’s supervision, art history major Kimberly Colbert ’18 of Williamsport, Md., is curating the show as her arts management practicum.

“I want to do archival work after college, so this exhibition allows me to gain crucial skills for that type of work,” Colbert says.

The project’s biggest challenge so far is that many submissions for the exhibit have not come in yet.

“Right now the most difficult task is trying to get ideas flowing about how to best approach the exhibition space, while acknowledging that, since I have not seen [all] works, my best laid plans may have to go out the window,” she says.

Lawson and Colbert are expecting artwork from Amherst High School, Monelison Middle School, and Amherst, Central, Amelon, Madison Heights, Elon, Temperance and Pleasant View elementary schools.

Colbert also assisted Lawson with another exhibit — “Simply Justice and Fair Play,” which opened March 1 at the Sweet Briar Museum.

For more information, please contact Lawson at klawson@sbc.edu or (434) 381-6248.