- Draper City Hall is hosting an art exhibit featuring 79 pieces by 48 students.
- The Draper Visual Arts Foundation's competition awards cash prizes up to $1,000.
- Emily Dunn encourages students to share their art, highlighting community support.
DRAPER — The lobby inside Draper City Hall may feel like an art gallery for the next week.
An exhibit featuring the work of dozens of seniors in the Canyons School District is on display through Monday, april 27, as part of the Draper Visual Arts Foundation's annual art scholar competition.
The contest is intended to empower young aspiring artists to showcase their talents for the community.
"It helps us to really get inside their minds — what are they thinking about at this time and what do they want to express, so they feel heard," said Emily Dunn, a board member of the Draper Visual Arts Foundation.
The organization solicited submissions earlier this month, with entries fitting into three categories: two-dimensional and three-dimensional pieces, including wood, jewelry, pottery and sculpture, as well as photography and digital art.
In all, 79 pieces from 48 student artists are on display at Draper's City Hall for the public to see during regular business hours through Monday.
The Draper Visual Arts Foundation was formed more than three decades ago as an ode to the city's history of art collection.
"Our foundation was created to preserve a collection of artwork that was started here in Draper 100 years ago," Dunn said.
Draper Elementary School began an art collection program in 1926. Students selected and bought pieces to decorate the walls inside the school, some of which remain there today. The Draper Visual Arts Foundation, inspired by the decades of art collected at the school, began in the early 1990s by a group of retired teachers to continue celebrating and promoting art.
2026 also marks the arts scholar competition's 27th year. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges Monday evening, and recipients will be awarded cash prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000. One student will take home the grand prize of $1,000 commemorating Jean Hendricksen, a founder of the Draper Visual Arts Foundation.
Dunn, who entered her art in the competition during its early years, recalled how it helped define her career path.
"I myself actually participated in this competition in 2000 and I won; and then went to BYU and studied illustration," she said.
Dunn went on to work for Disney Interactive Studios as an artist and designer making video games, among other roles, before joining the foundation.
She encourages students to be bold in sharing their talents and stories with others through a paintbrush or photography.
"It's a vulnerable thing to put something (out) that you spent a lot of time and heart on," said Dunn. "(But) I would love to share with other students who are interested in pursuing art or just as a hobby, to just be brave and share because we need to hear from everyone."
She said the Draper arts community is supportive, and students of any skill level are encouraged to participate in future events.
For those who can't make it to see the exhibit in person by Monday afternoon at city hall, a digital gallery where people can leave comments on the student art is available at drapervisualartsfoundation.org.
