High School Select Redux

On view in both the Main & Frederick Douglass Galleries October 25—November 26, 2023.
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 28 (5-8pm)
AHA Night: Thursday, November 9 (5-8pm)

High School Art Exhibit Set to Return to Gallery X this Fall Thanks to Support from Art Is Everywhere! Grant

NEW BEDFORD, MA — A remarkable display of artistic talent is set to captivate the community as student artists and their teachers from three area high schools are to be featured in the upcoming exhibition, High School Select Redux at Gallery X. New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven High Schools will be represented in this exhibition, which is being supported in part by New Bedford Creative’s Art Is Everywhere! ARPA Grant. Offering a unique opportunity for the community to witness the talent and creativity of the next generation of creatives the exhibition is scheduled to run from October 25 to November 26 at Gallery X. High School Select Redux is being curated by Zachary White of Gallery X, Rosannette Rivera and Lynne Laberge of New Bedford High School, Christine McFee of Dartmouth High School, and Christine Neville of Fairhaven High School.

The wide range of classes taught at each of the three participating high schools, ensures this exhibition will feature a diverse collection of paintings, drawings, digital art, photography, ceramics, and mixed media. The exhibition will highlight the extraordinary abilities and fresh perspectives of young artists from each of the school’s art programs. New Bedford, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven High Schools, each with their own unique ideas, skill sets, and challenges will join together to create a cohesive creative space where each can be represented in a manner that respects them as individual artists and members of the creative community.

As a community organization founded on the ideal of making contemporary art accessible to all, Gallery X will continue to fulfill this mission with programs such as High School Select Redux. This program not only instills the participating creatives with a sense of pride, but also provides a non-academic setting for them to be seen for their creativity by all members of the creative community of greater New Bedford. “From this exhibition we aim to create a platform for many future collaborations, and not just between Gallery X and the exhibiting artists. We see the very real possibility of this program inspiring partnerships among the exhibitors and other area creatives and creative organizations,” says Zachary White, one of the exhibition curators. 

The Art Is Everywhere! ARPA Grant has enabled Gallery X to invite the participating schools and provide them with a professional gallery setting to promote and display their talents at no cost to the students, teachers, or schools. The grant will also cover the cost of supplies to prepare and present the artwork. At the conclusion of the exhibition, 16 participants will be awarded free artist memberships to Gallery X allowing them to continue to display their art and participate in Gallery programming for the next year at no cost! The memberships will be awarded based on input from the general public as well as selections by an awards committee made up of Gallery X members, teachers, and other respected members of the creative community.

Administered by New Bedford Creative, Art is Everywhere! ARPA Grant Program is a grant that prioritizes creative solutions to expedite the recovery of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Bedford’s neighborhoods. This grant was originally created in 2020 with funding by MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) and the Barr Foundation as one component of a broader “TDI Creative Cities” initiative to boost arts-based economic development.

Gallery X, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community art gallery and performance venue, is located in the historic 1855 First Universalist Church building at 169 William Street in the Upper William Street neighborhood. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday—Friday 11-3:30, Saturday/Sunday 12-3, and the 2nd Thursday of each month from 5-8 as part of AHA! Night. Admission to the gallery is free, but donations are graciously welcome.