By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Life continues to rebound from the COVID-19 shutdown. For local high school artists, that means the first live VORTEX show at Barton Community College's Shafer Art Gallery since the shutdown. Gallery Director Alyssa Bliven said artwork from several area high school students will be showcased from March 21-28.
"We have Great Bend, Ellinwood, Hoisington, Central Plains, and Larned," she said. "We have drawings, paintings, ceramics, sculpture. We have some jewelry and there's even one woodburning."
Just before the show winds down, the artists will be invited to campus as part of VORTEX Day.
"VORTEX Day is March 27, and that's where we have these students actually come onto campus," Bliven said. "They get to do workshops with our instructors here. We have lunch and an awards ceremony."
Barton Art Instructors Philip Jacobson and Mark Freeman will hand out awards in various mediums, and the gallery will also hand out an award. The student artists will compete in a sidewalk chalk art competition that day, weather permitting.
The Shafer Art Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is always free.