Young people in Nanaimo are getting the opportunity to display their work in public thanks to a new project by a youth volunteer group.
Youth 20/20 Can is a federally funded initiative under the Canada Service Corps Program, and for the past three years the Nanaimo chapter has been volunteering in the community.
“We do all kinds of projects in the community … and we also do projects to serve community groups,” youth engagement worker Gwen Vonarx said. “We work with Foodshare, we work with Loaves and Fishes, we work with the City of Nanaimo. We’ve adopted a park and we go once a month and we clean up a park.”
The youths in the group come up with the projects they want to pursue, and at one such brainstorming session a participant suggested that they present their first art show. That show will be held at Country Club Centre mall on Oct. 23.
The show will feature local artists from the ages of 15 to 29 and Vonarx said the group accepted all physical works of art.
“It could be paintings, sculptures, it could be a poetry piece that they have written that they could give to us that we could have displayed for people to read,” she said. “It could be any kind of art.”
While this is a new endeavour for Youth 20/20 Can Nanaimo, Vonarx said she expects it will be a positive experience. She said there often aren’t venues for youths to be able to show their art and this show will be “wonderful for us to be able to see their talents and see what they’ve created.”
“Because this is a youth project – youths leading youths – they realize how important it is for youths to be able to have that chance to display their art and for community members to enjoy their artwork,” she said. “I think that that is really important. It helps youths with their confidence when we show appreciation for the talents that they have.”
WHAT’S ON … Youth 20/20 Can Youth Art Show takes place at Country Club Centre on Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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