Boys and Girls Club artwork on display Thursday



MILWAUKEE -- The artistic efforts of hundreds of young, Midwestern artists were on display in Milwaukee Thursday, as artwork on skateboards and snowboards was on display at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee.

As an artist, Savanna Ridge appreciated what she saw Thursday night. She said the artists are really good, neat and even inspiring.

Thursday afternoon, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee was full of art fans during the club's Midwest Regional Fine Art Exhibit at Milwaukee's Mardak Center. "It's really a great way for kids to grow and experience something new, that maybe they don't have at home, or in school,"Rebecca Ehlers with the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee said.

The event features dozens of pieces created by club members, ages six through 18, representing 40 clubs in 12 states. "It feels good because you get to see other people's artwork, and that they work hard on," student-artist J'bree Mosley said.

Among those viewing this work is a local artist who enjoys working with soft wood, after playing on the hardwood. Milwaukee Bucks forward Larry Sanders is a self-described skate or deck board artist. He was at Thursday's exhibit to see the art and support the artists. "It's amazing what the kids are doing, and how the Boys and Girls Club is encouraging the kids to bring this creativity out and express it," Sanders said.

More than three dozen of the pieces will advance to the Boys and Girls Club of America's National Fine Arts Exhibit, with some on display during the Boys and Girls Club of America's National Conference in San Diego, California.