YouthQuest students have spent the last six months creating Japanese Koinobori fish, painting abstract art by blowing through straws and drawing portraits of each other while blindfolded.
The projects – created through movement or depicting motion – all play into the theme of “Art in Motion.” Many of these pieces will be on display during ArtQuest, an annual art exhibition hosted by the afterschool enrichment program.
This year’s event will be held April 24-26 at Diplomat’s Corporate Headquarters, at 4100 Saginaw St. in Flint.
“As YouthQuest students learned this year, art doesn’t have to be static,” said Rhetta Hunyady, vice president of Education and Training at the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. “It can be dynamic. It can be fluid. And best of all, it can be fun!”
According to Hunyady, the public is invited to attend this year’s exhibition, which will be open 4-6 p.m. each day. In addition to checking out student-created artwork, visitors are encouraged to:
- Stay for the performances, which will include everything from student-produced fashion shows to drumline demonstrations.
- Make their own “art in motion.” Several make-and-take activities will be provided for children and teens, and include painting with ping pong balls and making paper spinners.
- Join in a dance party that combines both art and technology.
These are just some of the activities that will be included in the event, which takes its theme from the “Sprint 4 Flint” fundraiser that ended in 2017. As part of the campaign, Flint-native Mark Braun and his nonprofit Mr. B’s Joybox Express raised funding and awareness for YouthQuest by transporting a 385-pound piano on a tricycle built for three from Flint to Mackinac Island – using manpower alone.
“Mr. B’s project showed our students that art comes in many forms,” Hunyady said. “It excited their imaginations and inspired their creativity. This year’s artwork is evidence of that.”
Admission to ArtQuest is free, although guests are encouraged to RSVP by calling (810) 600-1422.
YouthQuest is made possible through the generous support of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.