Three Round Rock ISD students have been selected to showcase their artwork in the 2025 Texas Youth Art Month exhibition. This prestigious event is hosted by the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) which recognizes exceptional creativity and skill in hundreds of student submissions statewide.
“Youth Art Month is a national celebration of the art that youth create daily in Round Rock ISD,” said Tim Lowke, director of fine arts – visual arts. “Youth Art Month is a national celebration of the art that youth create daily in Round Rock ISD. Our ongoing recognition as a program at the state level shows the depth and complexity of our district visual arts education program and why we are a District of Distinction.
Two students stood out: Sophie W., a fourth-grade student from Deep Wood Elementary, and Harper C., a seventh-grade student from Grisham Middle School. Both will have their artwork on display at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum this March.
Sophie says her piece, ‘Western Cactus,’ was inspired by her teacher’s assignment and the Western environment. She describes the background of her artwork as follows: “I learned that I could use pattern designs to make the cactus look interesting while keeping it realistic,” she explains, “and that and use warm colors for the sky.”
Meanwhile, Harper created a piece called ‘The Little Things.’
“It’s about what we take for granted,” she said. “The butterflies, soaring overhead; the caterpillars, climbing, inching higher and higher on a blade of grass; the small joys, often hidden in our crazy, beautiful life… It’s about community and how we can work together, just like these bugs, to reach a greater goal.”
Harper said she hopes her artwork encourages others to notice ‘the little things.’
She and Sophie aren’t the only ones representing Round Rock ISD. Averie D., a fifth-grade student from Live Oak Elementary, also represents the district and the State of Texas in the State Flag Design Competition—Elementary Division, an honor a Round Rock ISD student has earned for a second consecutive year. Her piece will be displayed at the National Flag Ceremony at the National Art Education Association Conference and again at the Texas Art Education Association Conference.
Competitions involving the visual arts help give our students a sense of pride and community.
“Art education is life education,” Kristin Goodman, art teacher at Grisham Middle School, explains. “Art allows students an outlet for self-expression, giving kids an opportunity and the tools to communicate with images and objects instead of words. It allows students to examine and explore their thoughts and feelings. Art encourages using mistakes as an opportunity for growth.”
Students who take an art class, join an art club, or participate in art-related activities have the opportunity to find new ways to communicate with the world around them. This can lead to their artworks winning competitions and being shown in galleries. Here at Round Rock ISD, it starts with growing creativity, and it starts with us.
