DRAPER, Utah — We can all remember doing some form of art as kids, but not all of us turned out as talented as Aeris Lau.
"I remember as a kid, one time, I drew my family on the wall to mimic a cave painting, and I had to clean it up. It was really bad," Lau recalled.
Lau is a senior in Hillcrest High School's IB Art Program. This year, her portfolio focused on turning food and memories into masterpieces.
"Art has been a way to kind of put these feelings that are hard to tackle in a bunch of words, and it kind of comes out in the art," she said.
Two of her works are now hanging proudly at the Draper Visual Arts Foundation's Art Scholar Competition — a contest showcasing senior artists from nearby high schools.
"It's one of the ways that we help to live out our mission, and our mission is to conserve, promote, and celebrate art in Utah, particularly in Draper," said Jenny Haase, board member for the Draper Visual Arts Foundation.
Haase's mother, Jean Hendrickson, is one of the foundation's founders. Since 1999, when the Art Scholar Competition started, the foundation has awarded $70,000 in prizes.
"It's fun to know the young artists that have been impacted, whether they've won art scholar money, they've had their work recognized and encouraged," Haase said. "It makes a really big difference for students to want to continue on because they've been appreciated."
Board member Kamett Harmer said last year's grand prize winner had his whole family cheering him on!
The judges have a tough decision, but Lau's art teacher, Kari Benett, says the competition is a great way for people to see why it's called artwork.
"I watch these kids work so hard all year long, and I just think it's a great opportunity to show off all the hard work that they've done," Benett said.
If you want to see the incredible artwork, it will be on display at Draper City Hall through April 28.
