Tryon – “I think that art is something kids can keep doing for their entire lives,” said Landrum High School art teacher Hague Williams during the opening reception for the 2025 Showcase of Excellence, a juried student art show featuring work from nearly a dozen high schools across Western North Carolina and the South Carolina Upstate. “Even if they don’t go into art professionally, it’s something that they own, and they use it their whole lives.”
The Showcase of Excellence is a long-running program of Polk County’s Tryon Fine Arts Center. Teachers submit their students’ work for the juried show, which awards prizes and recognition in printmaking, photography, sculpture, mixed media, drawing, and painting. The work is professionally displayed in a curated exhibition in Tryon Fine Arts Center’s JP Gallery.
Following a formal reception and awards ceremony, the artwork will remain on display through March 7.
“The best part is always when the students go in and see their artwork on the walls, whether they won anything or not,” said event organizer Amber Keeran. “They’re just so excited to see it in a professional gallery. It’s always fun to watch them be excited and see the parents excited and taking pictures of them with their art.”
Work from eight schools is featured in the exhibit, with 15 art teachers submitting 97 pieces from area high school students. Graphic artist and educator Eldred Pascal Hudson served as juror for the event, judging the pieces for their creativity and skill in execution. “Kudos to the dedicated, creative teachers who mentor these emerging artists and art appreciators,” said Hudson.
TFAC centralizes arts education in addition to performances. As a Kennedy Center Partner, it works hand-in-hand with local school districts on arts integration and also offers classes and workshops for all ages. “The art experiences kids get in the classroom are lifelong memories for them. That’s the thing about art; it connects with you in a way that reading something off of a whiteboard doesn’t,” said Linda Haynes. Art is used as a tool to teach problem-solving and innovation to prepare students for an increasingly complex world.