Thirty-four student artists have been chosen to represent Hempfield School District in the Lancaster County Young Artists exhibit at the Lancaster Museum of Art, 135 N. Lime St., Lancaster. The exhibit opened on March 9, and it features the work of students from middle schools and high schools throughout the county. The selected pieces will remain on display at the museum until Sunday, April 7.

Every year, students between seventh and 12th grades are invited to submit work in the Lancaster County Young Artists exhibit, which is open to kids who are enrolled in a local district as well as homeschooled youths. The regional competition includes categories for apparel, ceramics and glass, digital art, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and many other mediums.

"(Lancaster County Young Artists) is set up to recognize excellent student artwork in the county, so each school district is given a set number of entries to submit," said Amy Edwards, an art teacher at Hempfield High School. "They look for work that has a unique student voice, excellent craftsmanship and sound composition."

Art teachers in each school district select work from their students to enter in the contest every year. Once the submissions are judged, artists who have been chosen for the exhibit are contacted directly to drop off their work. Edwards, who teaches Fine Metals, Hot Glass and World Crafts at Hempfield High School, presents the opportunity to individual students whose work she believes would do well in the competition. "I think there are so few opportunities for high school students to showcase their work outside of their building and district," Edwards said. "To be in the Lancaster Museum of Art is pretty special."

Edwards noted that while it's exciting to be featured in the exhibit, students whose work was not accepted should not be discouraged. Before she was a teacher, Edwards competed in the contest as a student until she graduated from Pequea Valley High School in 1991. "I always share with the kids that the process is only one set of eyes; it's not the end-all, be-all," Edwards said. "I talk about my experiences with my own work not being accepted at times. It's a wonderful contest, but it's not the only thing."

Lancaster County Young Artists was initially run by multiple volunteers. In recent years, the Lancaster Museum of Art and the Demuth Foundation took over the management of the annual contest. Artwork from an additional seven school districts will be exhibited at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in Lancaster city.

For more information, visit http://www.demuth.org.