Childrens' art show

SPRINGVILLE — For the 21st consecutive year the Children's Christmas Lamb Show is displaying artwork from elementary school students throughout Utah County at the Springville Museum of Art.

"This is a counterpoint to the religious show we're showing," said Natalie Peterson, assistant director.

Instead of heavy, deeply religious paintings in the Spiritual and Religious Art Exhibition, that were on display through Wednesday, this art views the Christmas story from a child's eyes. The children's art is exhibited through Friday.

Nearly 300 children entered the show, and 70 were chosen to go on display, she said. Each piece of art, from children age 5 through 14, is based on "The Christmas Lamb." The author is unknown.

In the story a young boy gets to decide what he would have given the Christ Child on the day of his birth. It is a story of love, joy and giving.

The story begins with the boy visiting an art museum where he sees a painting of a boy holding a lamb at the first Christmas. It then discusses the change that occurs in the boy's life because of the influence of the painting. He learns that he can give a gift to Christ by giving to others.

As in the story, the museum wants to encourage and build confidence in children. That is done by jurying and accepting their work and giving them recognition through an awards ceremony. The juried show bases each work on excellence and artistic vision, Peterson said. Often children who need special encouragement are somehow selected for the show, she said, calling it "the magic of Christmas."

The exhibition is old enough now that some entrants have parents who also entered the show when they were children, Peterson said.

Before launching the program, David Nemelka would read the story to his family as a Christmas tradition. As a result his children would often take a present they received and wanted but then gave anonymously to someone else.

"That was very touching to us as parents," he said.

He had local sculptor Gary Price sculpt a boy holding a lamb, which stands in his front yard as a reminder of the value of giving.

"I saw the impact, and I'm watching it in the next generation," he said.

Every year during the awards ceremony a member of the Nemelka family reads the story. This year it was 10-year-old Matthew Nemelka, a grandson.

He encouraged museum director Vern Swanson to start the annual event to run alongside the religious art exhibition for three reasons:

• To share the principle of giving — that Christ can receive a gift in the season of his birth by giving to others.

• To lift the human spirit through art. "It's how we record our history and share our values," he said.

• To find success and encouragement for young artists.

"It's worthwhile if we encourage just one artist," he said.

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E-mail: rodger@desnews.com