46th Annual Reba Bacon Art Competition Looking For Best

Upper Cumberland high school students are invited to showcase their artwork through the 46th Reba Bacon Memorial High School Art Competition.

Gallery Coordinator Susan Van Aalten said any Upper Cumberland high schooler is eligible to enter their work for the March 3 contest. She said this is a great opportunity for young artists to get exposure at an accredited gallery.

“There are some students here that will blow your mind,” Van Aalten said. “Their artwork is so outstanding. It’s just amazing. Yes, we have a rich, rich group of high school students and every year, you just think, ‘Oh, this is amazing.'”

Van Aalten said for the first time in the event’s 45-year history, there will be a “best in show” category. She said other categories include all types of painting, fiber arts, pottery, and free-sculpting.

She said the judges from the Tennessee Tech Art Department will score the pieces and the top three artists from each of the 11 categories will win a cash prize. She said the work will remain on display at the Cookeville Art Gallery through March and can be viewed from 10:00am-4:00pm Monday through Saturday.

“They are our future,” Van Aalten said. “They are our future artists and they are our future period. If we can encourage their imagination, you know, Einstein once said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge,’ and we want to encourage that. We want to see that grow.”

Van Aalten said students can sign up through their school art department. She said those without an art teacher to sponsor them, likely homeschooled students, can be sponsored by the gallery and participate.

“Our art teachers in this area are amazing, obviously,” Van Aalten said. “Because they’re drawing it out of these kids and they have such incredible imaginations.”