On April 13, the River Falls Public Library gallery rings with the sound of kids, parents, teachers, and art lovers buzzing about the K-12 exhibit. Creative artists pose in front of their work while parents and friends snap photos. Kids explain the process of being part of a group project and how everyone collaborated. Someone shouts to a friend across the room, “Have you seen the Lorax?”

This art exhibit represents the best of River Falls schools, which includes all elementary schools, St. Bridget Parish School, Meyer Middle School and River Falls High School. It also represents educators and parents encouraging young minds to pursue excellence.

Themes range from dragons to nature and art history. Van Gogh continues to influence artists from two centuries back. Some students tackled challenging subjects like Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and his concept that building should be of the landscape, not on the landscape. Other unique themes include: two-point perspectives, tessellations, and mandalas. The back wall is stacked three high in spots with great portraits.

Many grades present artwork of the same type of item that looks great together like “Pinched Pots,” “Hearts” and sewn “Fifth Grade Ugly Dolls” from West side Elementary. Other students like the seventh graders were given a subject like “Shattered Values Project,” then challenged to come up with their own unique interpretations.

Ancient mosaics, stained glass window designs and manuscript lettering were faith-based contributions from St. Bridget art students.

The Montessori School’s “Trees” is a remarkable collaboration. Each student portrays a type of tree assigned to their class like cottonwood, maple, hickory, oak. Their artistic impressions are then seamed together in one collage of that tree. In yet another impressive collaboration Eoin Bredon from UWRF’s glass program has melded each classroom’s tree impressions into one single glass blown tree.

Westside’s third grade introduces a character, “Marcel the Shell,” with illustrations and has written different stories about what the shell, named Shelvis the Rock Star, does.

Don’t miss this collaboration! A group of 12^th graders worked together on a 12-portrait piece: They each selected a portrait, gridded the image into 12 squares and inked six squares independently. Each following day a different classmate inked in one of the remaining six squares.

Two other 12 graders split Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” in two. Each did an updated version and then pieced their canvases back together into a joint painting. (See the photo with this article).

Most familiar art mediums are featured including a few unique notables: coffee on paper, graphite on sulphite, scratch art, and fused glass tile. The clay handmade items are imaginative and exceptionally well done.

Monday, I revisited the exhibit. It was so good to see the gallery back in operation. This time an elderly gentleman in front of me could not stop commenting about the talent on display. I had to agree. Just when I picked out a favorite, there was an equally excellent art piece right next door to it.

The Student Art Show at the River Falls Public Library closes May 2. Plan on going. It will take your breath away.