Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

“The world needs art,” as seen at a Lakeville student art exhibit March 12, 2026

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“Pop Art Inspired by Roy Lichtenstein,” mixed media by third grader Samuel Aquino. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

DURING A RECENT OVERNIGHT STAY, my 7-year-old grandson asked me to draw the shape of Minnesota. I declined. He, the boy who drew state and world maps even before entering kindergarten, far exceeds me in his map making skills. Correction. He can draw far better than Grandma in any subject.

This shows some of the art created by Lakeville High School students. The exhibit is open until March 20. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

But it’s not just Isaac who impresses me with his art. It’s kids in general. I base that on my yearly viewing of student art displayed publicly during National Youth Art Month in March. “The World Needs Art” themes this year’s event. I wholeheartedly agree. We absolutely need art to express ourselves, to share ideas, to learn, to grow, to change, to celebrate.

Lakeville High School and Middle School art is displayed in the performing arts center building pictured here. Elementary school art is exhibited in the next door fine arts building.(Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

This year I toured exhibits of student art at a K-12 show at the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Although my grandson and his sister attend Lakeville schools, their art is not included. Elementary school art is randomly selected for display, my granddaughter said.

My husband, Randy, looks at elementary school art in a hallway of the fine arts building. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Perhaps some day I’ll see my grandchildren’s art hung inside the Lakeville Area Arts Center. But for now, I enjoyed the creativity of other kids.

“Loonscape” by Aubrey Bartyzal. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Take the mixed media “Loonscape” by kindergartner Aubrey Bartyzal, which earned honorable mention at the elementary school level. I could easily envision her rendition of Minnesota’s state bird on a t-shirt, tote bag or note cards. Set against a fiery sun and swimming in bold blue waters, the loon in Aubrey’s scene shouts “Up North at the Cabin.”

“Night Scene” by Millie Vosika, awarded Best of Show. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Quite the opposite is high school senior Millie Vosika’s “Night Scene,” depicting a cityscape of towering buildings, a narrow street and a brooding night sky. The acrylic, watercolor and oil painting earned Best of Show and rightfully so. It’s impressive.

“Monkey Teapot” by Ruby Lyke. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

A ceramic “Monkey Teapot” by junior Ruby Lyke, simply put, made me happy.

A wall of art by Lakeville Middle School students. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

There’s much to celebrate not only in the actual art itself, but also in the student artists who create and in the teachers who guide them. To foster creativity in a child is, in my opinion, invaluable. I’ve bought markers, reams of paper, construction paper and other art supplies for my young grandson, who, if he’s not solving math equations, is drawing.

“Geometric Shapes,” a collage by third grader, Remy Espinasse. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

Some of the Lakeville students drew. Others painted. High schoolers used digital tools. A few molded clay. I saw varied art forms displayed.

This shows a portion of third grader Avery Rundell’s mixed media “2-Point Perspective Treehouse.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

I climbed a treehouse. Went to Australia to see the kangaroos. Saw Billie Eilish. All without leaving Lakeville.

A cropped version of seventh grader Kira Johnson’s mixed media “Crimson Kangaroo.” (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

That’s art. It takes you places. Broadens your perspective. Opens doors. The world does, indeed, need art.

“Billie Eilish,” a mixed media portrait by seventh grader Sadie Stevens. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo March 2026)

FYI: To see more student art in area galleries, check out the following: Area Student Art Show at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault until April 10; The All School Art Show at the Northfield Arts Guild until March 29; the Owatonna Public Schools K-12 Student Art Exhibition at the Owatonna Arts Center until March 31; the Student Art Show at the Arts & Heritage Center of Montgomery until May 16; and the High School Art Show at the Waseca Art Center from March 24-May 1.

Exhibit photographed with permission of the Lakeville Area Arts Center. Artists retain the copyright to their art.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

From Faribault: There are no limitations with art March 15, 2017

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AS A CHILD, I hooked nylon loops onto a pegged plastic square then wove more loops the other direction to shape a potholder.

My potholders were rather useless given their minimal size and synthetic material. But still, I gifted many aunts with potholders on their birthdays and they graciously thanked me.

 

 

I never pursued weaving beyond that childhood obsession, although I was convinced that some day I would weave rag rugs like my Uncle Bob. A long retired Minneapolis police officer, he learned the craft from his mother and has given me many sturdy rugs for my home.

 

 

As a child, I admired Helen Keller. I still do. I often wondered what it would be like to be deaf and blind as she was and to overcome those disabilities with such determination. After suffering a sudden sensory hearing loss in my right ear six years ago, I understand partial deafness. But to be blind, that stretches my imagination.

 

 

With that background, I was especially drawn to a section of the Student Art Exhibit at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault. It features SAORI weaving, free-style hand-weaving that originated in Japan. Minnesota State Academy for the Blind students created the woven art under the guidance of artist-in-residence Chiaki O’Brien.

 

 

I expect the texture of the materials makes this craft especially appealing to those with limited or no vision. Their other senses, including the sense of touch, are heightened.

I think then back to Helen Keller and how her devoted teacher, Anne Sullivan, spelled w-a-t-e-r into Helen’s hand as water rushed over it.

 

 

I wonder then how the hands-on teaching of Chiaki O’Brien affected visually-impaired students at the Minnesota Academy as they saw with their hands that they could create art. What a gift.

FYI: The Student Art Exhibit, featuring artwork from nine Faribault schools, runs through April 1 on the second floor of the Paradise Center for the Arts in downtown Faribault.

This concludes my recent series of stories on current exhibits at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

© Copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Artwork photographed with permission from the PCA.

 

Encouraging our youth in the arts March 11, 2012

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Third grader Henry Johnson of Nerstrand Elementary School created this vivid art for the Student Art Exhibit which opened Friday at the Paradise Center for the Arts in downtown Faribault.

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO while attending a church meeting about demographics, I noticed a young girl two pews ahead of me sketching. After the drawn-out session ended, I approached her and asked to see her art. I can’t recall the subject of her drawing. But I do remember our conversation. We talked about her interest in art.

And then I asked if she also writes. Her grandpa, who’d been listening, piped up, “She’s always writing stories.”

That’s all I needed. “I’m a writer, too,” I said.

“What books did you write?” the elementary-aged girl asked, her eyes widening.

I could hear the awe in her voice before sharing that I hadn’t actually published a book, but have had my essays and poetry published in collections. I also mentioned that I write for a magazine and that I blog.

But I didn’t want this to be about me. I wanted this to be about her, the budding writer.

My writing summarized, I shifted the conversation back to her, suggesting she continue writing and drawing and doing what she loves.

Whenever I can encourage a young person in the arts, I will. Sometimes that’s all it takes—the attention of an adult—to set a child on a path to a future career or engagement in a past-time that fulfills a creative need.

Just a snippet of the art created by artists from five Faribault area schools and currently displayed at the Paradise Center for the Arts through April 7.

Last week I had a similar opportunity to encourage a home-schooled tenth grader, Claire Ellendson, whose art is currently exhibited in the Corey Lyn Creger Memorial Gallery at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault. I could hear Claire’s excitement as we talked about her Washington, D.C., street-scape that sold days before her gallery show opening. Any artist would be elated to have a piece of art sell before opening day. Imagine how that uplifts a young person still evolving into her identity as an artist.

That brings us to today, to March, Youth Art Month, an effort “to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs,” according to the National Art Education Association.

In celebration of that, an annual Student Art Exhibit featuring the art of school-age children from Faribault area schools opened Friday on the second floor of the Paradise. Five of the invited schools opted to participate.

While I got there too late to interact with the artists and with only enough time to shoot photos before closing, I still wanted to encourage these youth. Thus I’m writing this blog post.

Jeremiah Kuball, a student at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Schools, used colored pencils to draw this John Deere 4450. Among his shading techniques is crosshatching.

Artists from Jefferson, Lincoln, Nerstrand, Roosevelt and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Schools, I’m impressed with your art. I’m impressed by the level of talent at such a young age. This is not the crayon art of my youth. This collection of some 200 pieces (guessing on that number, but each school could submit up to 40 works) includes art I’d love to hang in my home.

First grader Kyle Ernste of Nerstrand Elementary School painted this vivid butterfly which reminds me of children's picture book artist Eric Carle's art.

And, yes, I photographed more than I can showcase here, on this page. So I’d urge you to see for yourself what these young artists have created by touring the Student Art Exhibit, which runs through April 7.

For those of you who don’t live anywhere near Faribault, or even in Minnesota or the U.S.A., I ask you to find one young person who loves the arts. Foster that child’s love for the arts via praise or perhaps the gift of art supplies or an art class. Such words and actions, offered in sincerity, can be powerful.

Additionally, I invite you to share your comments here on youth art and/or how someone encouraged you in the arts.

Families peruse the student art hung in the hallways of the Paradise's second floor.

A snippet of Lincoln Elementary School fifth grader Evelyn Nigon's Statue of Liberty painting.

Fifth graders from Jefferson Elementary School infused humor into their interpretations of the Mona Lisa.

CLICK HERE for more information about the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault.

© Copyright 2012 Audrey Kletscher Helbling