Hillestad Gallery's Celebration of Youth exhibit features state fair winners

         Thirty-four Nebraska youths will have their work showcased in the 18th annual Celebration of Youth exhibition, "Risk and Reward," running through Oct. 15 at the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Items were selected from the thousands of exhibits in the Clothing, Fashion Show, Home Environment and Quilt Quest departments at the 2011 Nebraska State Fair.

            On Oct. 15, the UNL department of Textiles, Clothing and Design will host a day of workshops for the youths and their parents, and then the exhibition's closing event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Home Economics Building on 35th street north of East Campus Loop. Exhibitors in the gallery will give a short artist's talk about their piece in Room 11 on the lower level of the building. The program will be followed by a final opportunity to see the exhibition in the Hillestad Gallery, and a reception hosted by the Friends of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery on the second floor.

            This year's exhibitors hometowns are (listed alphabetically by hometown):

            Ainsworth: Jenna Williams

            Alliance: Ellie Applegath

            Ashland: Stephanie Sherman (Alternate)

            Ayr: Jordyn Atwater (Alternate)

            Bennington: Nicole Japp (Alternate)

            Berwyn: Audrey Foster

            Bingham: Jackson Davis

            Blair: Rebecca Ruenholl

            Broadwater: Kristen Fellhoelter

            Carroll: Audrey Roberts

            Cedar Rapids: Noah Spagnotti

            Crete: Emily Manning

            Elkhorn: Johann Beam

            Fairfield: Jackie Ridgway

            Firth: Kelli Doeschot

            Juniata: Lacey Uden

            Hebron: Hannah Kerns (Alternate)

            Kearney: Alison Buse (Alternate)

            Lexington: Maricela Dones, Mallorie Hernandez

            Mitchell: Audree Ford

            Murray: Natalia Nolting

            Norfolk: Paige Spieker

            Omaha: Nicole Tidwell

            Paxton: Ali Spurgin

            Pender: Molly Burmester

            Pierce: Emily Hilkemann (Alternate)

            Potter: Rose Nelson (Alternate)

            Ravenna: Sara Valentine

            Tecumseh: Brittany Wolken

            Tobias: Crystal Brakhage

            Wilber: Faith Huneke

            York: Nicole BeBoer (Alternate)

Writer: Wendy Weiss