Art Day offers area students opportunities

Nebraska high schools in attendance included Alliance, Bayard, Bridgeport, Chadron, Cody-Kilgore, Crawford, Gordon-Rushville, Hemingford, Kimball, Morrill, Mitchell and Sioux County, Nebraska, as well as Edgemont, South Dakota.

Liz Brown of Bayard, Nebraska, said she enjoys Art Day since her small school doesn’t have a wide variety of opportunities in art class.

“There’s a lot more to do at CSC. I like trying different sessions each year. I hadn’t developed photos with chemicals before coming here. Also, you meet new people and they give you inspiration and ideas,” she said.

Brooke Nelson of Phillip, South Dakota, has been helping at the annual event since she came to Chadron State. This year Nelson, who is majoring in graphic design with a minor in equine management, chose to instruct the drawing workshop.

“I’ve been helping at Art Day for four years and it’s always been a lot of fun. I try to pick a different area to help out with every year, because even the helpers learn something new,” Nelson said.

Jared Schmit a senior from Cody-Kilgore High School, has been to numerous art days including one in Kentucky. Even though Schmit has been to multiple art workshops, the experience always give him the chance to explore.

“I’ve been to a few different art days, but this is my first time at Chadron State’s and it’s been awesome. It’s a lot of fun being able to explore art and figure out what you enjoy most,” Schmit said.

Tory Snyder of Pierre, South Dakota, instructed the ceramics class with several other CSC students, including Cody Cooper, a business major interested in art. It was Snyder’s third year assisting with the event and Cooper’s first.

Lori Jensen, art teacher at Crawford High School echoed Schmit’s sentiment. This is her first year teaching art and she brought four upperclassmen students with her.

“They were excited to come and learn new things,” Jensen said.

Students attending Art Day were all given a commemorative T-shirt designed by Leo Haselhorst of Randolph, Nebraska.

"It's pretty satisfying to see your work on so many shirts, signs and online," Haselhorst said.