The Sioux City Art Center will celebrate Youth Art Month with the 37th annual Youth Art Month Exhibition: Middle School in our Jensen, Everist, and Terra Galleries from February 19 to April 19, 2026. The exhibition features 61 artworks of middle school students from the Siouxland area. David Platter, Professor of Art and Design at Dordt University, juried the exhibition. Educators from Sioux City and neighboring communities in South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska collectively submitted 263 entries for consideration. The artworks were judged on originality, creativity, personal expression, and excellence of workmanship. The public is invited to an opening reception on Sunday, February 22, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. at the Art Center. At 2:00 p.m. an awards ceremony for Best in Show, 1st-3rd place in each grade, and Honorable Mentions will be held in the atrium.
Celebrated in March, Youth Art Month (YAM) is an annual nationwide celebration of K-12 art education. With roots dating back to 1961, today it is led nationally by the Council for Art Education. Sioux City Art Center has participated in the initiative annually for 37 years with a juried exhibition to celebrate the achievements of students and encourage public support for quality art education programs. Youth Art Month’s theme this year—“The World Needs Art”—is a reminder of the vital role art plays in helping us express emotions, imagine new ideas, learn about the world around us, and see our experiences in creative ways.
The Sioux City Art Center acknowledges the outstanding art educators across Siouxland for their dedication to student success and artistic development. We are proud to bring a focus to these efforts with the annual Youth Art Month Exhibition, one of the many programs during the year which aims to encourage artists of all ages to discover ideas and explore creativity through the artmaking process.
This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the generous support of Phyllis Conner, Dean and Zach Gansebom, Julian and Lisa Leopold, Douglas and Cathy Palmer, Ryan and Sheri Ross, Regina Roth, Toi Sullivan, and Charese Yanney.
Nineteen students will be recognized at the opening reception with the following awards:
|
GRADE |
NAME | SCHOOL | AWARD | |
|
6 |
Olivia | Griffith | Sheldon Middle School | 1st Place 6th Grade |
|
6 |
Mystanna | Simmons | West Middle School | 2nd Place 6th Grade |
|
6 |
Clara | O’Mara | Woodbury-Central School | 3rd Place 6th Grade |
|
6 |
Jacob | Mendez Garcia | West Middle School | Honorable Mention 6th Grade |
|
6 |
Avila | Brauer | Woodbury-Central School | Honorable Mention 6th Grade |
|
6 |
Nora | Griffin | North Middle School | Honorable Mention 6th Grade |
|
7 |
Connor | Johnson | East Middle School | 1st Place 7th Grade |
|
7 |
Rayne | Brandt | Le Mars Community Middle School | 2nd Place 7th Grade |
|
7 |
Evelyn | Moffat | Maple Valley Anthon-Oto Community Schools | 3rd Place 7th Grade |
|
7 |
Halley | Tran | North Middle School | Honorable Mention 7th Grade |
|
7 |
Olivia | Jensen | Lawton-Bronson Community Schools | Honorable Mention 7th Grade |
|
7 |
Lynn | Nguyen | West Middle School | Honorable Mention 7th Grade |
|
8 |
Zoie | Ferguson | Schleswig Community School | 1st Place 8th Grade |
|
8 |
Jaycie | Theisen | Woodbury-Central School | 2nd Place 8th Grade |
|
8 |
Dylan | Schellinger | Lawton-Bronson Community Schools | 3rd Place 8th Grade |
|
8 |
Thora | Larson | FOCUS Siouxland | Best in Show |
|
8 |
Brentley | Holbrook | West Monona Middle School | Honorable Mention 8th Grade |
|
8 |
Melanie | Loaeza Loaeza | Le Mars Community Middle School | Honorable Mention 8th Grade |
|
8 |
Kayden | Bucy | Woodbury-Central School | Honorable Mention 8th Grade |
