Held throughout March in the Impact Career Innovation Center on the Durango High School (DHS) campus, the 2025 exhibition celebrates National Youth Art Month with a stunning display of artwork created by K–12 students across all 11 district schools. Though the space is not open to the public outside of scheduled events, the March 6 opening reception drew several hundred attendees who came to support local student artists and enjoy an evening of inspiration.
“This show is first and foremost about celebrating students and the work they do,” said event organizer Krista Karpel, who teaches art, painting, and fashion design at DHS and serves as the school's Fine Arts Department Coordinator. “It also thanks the community and helps them understand how vibrant these programs are. We are so lucky in this community to have this support, and this is one way to show what that support makes possible.”
Karpel has been involved with the event in one way or another since her student-teaching days at Fort Lewis College in the '90s. Back then, it was known as the Creativity Festivity. While the format has evolved, the mission remains the same: to spotlight student growth, creativity, and artistic excellence.
Each of the hundreds of pieces on display was selected by the district's art teachers to represent the best of their school’s visual arts program, with no quotas or size restrictions — just a focus on excellence and diverse representation across grade levels and media.
Among the student artists featured was Mylee Smith, a DHS senior who has studied art with Karpel since her freshman year. Her piece, a highly detailed graphite drawing of an elk in a mountain field, draws inspiration from her grandmother’s artwork.
“I love realism, and graphite is my favorite medium because of the detail you can get,” Smith said. “My grandma has a drawing of an elk in my grandpa’s office, and I’ve always loved it. I wanted to do something like that.”
Smith credits Karpel for helping her grow as an artist. “At first, I was super focused on making things really extravagant. She has encouraged me to simplify — to focus on one thing, and make that thing great.”
While Smith is currently leaning toward a career in veterinary science, she said she’ll always keep art in her life. “I never want to give up my art. I want to keep practicing and improving.”
As a culminating event of the Youth Art Month Exhibition, one student artist from each school presented their artwork at the Durango School District 9-R Board of Education Regular Meeting on March 25. Those pieces will be displayed at the District Administration Office, alongside student artwork from previous Youth Art Month Exhibitions.