By Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator, CSC
CHADRON, Neb. — Paintings and drawings by about 30 Chadron High School students will be on display in an exhibit titled Get Your Kicks in 2026 now through May 8 at Chadron State College’s Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Chadron High art teacher Crystal Bach said she is proud of the students’ creativity and growth.
“It has been exciting to see their creativity and the growth they’ve shown in their artistic abilities,” Bach said. “We invite the community to come experience the work our students have been creating. I really appreciate CSC’s support.”
Bach said students are eager to share their work.
“We hope it will continue to grow and become a more permanent display as students produce new artwork,” she said.
Tatianna Obando said she enjoys painting or drawing scenes from movies, flowers and animals. She works with acrylic, watercolor and paint markers. “I love painting because it is exciting when everything starts to layer and build,” she said. “The most challenging part is trying to perfect it at the end. If it isn’t how I imagined, I keep adding to it until I am satisfied.”
Obando said she hopes viewers feel inspired to express their own creativity.
“My advice is to be creative and original,” she said. “It is easy to copy someone else’s art, but it is more rewarding when you create your own.”
Karsen Stokely said she chose bears as a subject because she finds them fascinating.
“The creation of art is a driving factor for the soul,” she said. “If there is even a hint of passion, chase it. It is always better to grow and change than let talent go to waste.”