EOU Nightingale Gallery Showcases Regional High School Artists in Annual Exhibition

EOU Nightingale Gallery Showcases Regional High School Artists in Annual Exhibition

LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Nightingale Gallery of Eastern Oregon University presents our annual “Eastern Oregon Regional High School Exhibition.”  The exhibition runs from February 21 to March 14. There will be an opening reception for the exhibition Friday, February 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the gallery. Awards will be presented at 5:30 p.m. that evening.

The “Eastern Oregon Regional High School Exhibition” provides a unique experience for young artists. This is the first opportunity most of them have to not only exhibit their work but also to exhibit alongside their eastern Oregon peers. 

“My students are always excited and honored to have their work shown at EOU,” Jessie Street, an Art Teacher at Powder Valley School said. “It makes them feel seen and that their ideas matter, and that’s a type of recognition and attention from adults that they remember.” 

The exhibit also allows the community to engage with the creative work of students from high schools throughout our region.  Students working in a variety of media in grades nine through twelve will have up to two works on view. Schools with students scheduled to participate include Baker City, Burns, Crane Union, Echo, Elgin, Enterprise, Grant Union, Joseph Charter School, La Grande, McLoughlin (Milton-Freewater), Monument, Pendleton, Powder Valley, and Union.  

The EOU Art Program faculty juries the exhibit and will award several honors. Award certificates, gift cards, sketchbooks, and a variety of EOU swag will be presented to the Best of Show winners in grades nine through twelve.  Honorable mentions will also be presented with certificates. 

The La Grande Arts Commission will for the 17th year sponsor awards for outstanding works by two La Grande student artists. Joining the La Grande Arts Commission in presenting special awards are Art Center East, Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, and Pendleton Center for the Arts.

“The Nightingale Gallery continues its decades-long commitment to celebrating the creative endeavors of our area’s young artists,” said Cory Peeke, Nightingale Gallery Director. “We recognize and encourage these students’ creativity and future artistic pursuits as well as applaud the hard work and dedication of their teachers who devotedly cultivate such promising young talent.”

The Nightingale Gallery is located in Loso Hall on the campus of Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, OR.  Gallery hours are Monday-Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information please follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
To request images of artwork for publication contact Gallery Director Cory Peeke at cpeeke@eou.edu.