Asher Stone, 12, a sixth grader at Winslow Elementary School, wears a shirt depicting his acrylic painting “Naked Mole Rat with a Pearl Earring,” which will be featured at two Waterville art galleries along with the work of other artists from kindergarten through 12th grade during Youth Art Month. Stone’s art instructor, Kipp Jacques, stands in the doorway. The event kicks off Friday with openings at Ticonic Gallery and Greene Block + Studios. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

WATERVILLE — Youth Art Month is returning to the city Friday, featuring art from more than 450 K-12 students from over 25 local schools.

Ticonic Gallery, a division of Waterville Creates, is collaborating with Greene Block + Studios to host the 11^th annual celebration of youth art. Art by students from kindergarten to fifth grade will be displayed at Ticonic Gallery at 93 Main St., and Greene Block + Studios, at 18 Main St., will feature work from sixth through 12th grade.

The event will officially begin on First Friday, with exhibition openings 4-7 p.m. at Ticonic and Greene Block. There will be live music, swag bags with art supplies, and stickers to showcase student artists.

“This opening is the biggest of the year,” said Marie Sugden, the exhibitions coordinator at Waterville Creates.

“Naked Mole Rat with a Pearl Earring,” by Asher Stone, a sixth grader at Winslow Elementary School. Courtesy of Waterville Creates

Youth Art Month is a national event put on by the Council of Art Education that dedicated March to youth art. The program encourages and supports high-quality art programs and promotes art material safety. Students get involved through school art programs. They can submit art from all different mediums, including pottery, photography, collages, painting, and more.

Asher Stone, a sixth grader at Winslow Elementary School, has been in the show for the past two years. This year, his piece, “Naked Mole Rat with a Pearl Earring” — a riff on Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer’s famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring” — was chosen for the poster.

“It feels really cool that they chose my painting,” he said.

Stone’s painting is part of his Naked Mole Rat series, inspired by his four pets rats. The series includes “Rata Lisa,” “Mole Gothic,” and “Mole Rat with a K9.” All four will be displayed at Ticonic Gallery. He is working on his fifth for the series, “Naked Mole Rat Crossing the Alps.”

“The best part is having my paintings hung up and seeing people enjoy them,” Stone said.

Stone’s teacher, Kipp Jacques, has 16 students in the art show. Most were chosen for their molas, handmade textiles from the indigenous Guna people from Panama and Columbia, which they have been working on for the past six weeks.

“The students that were chosen are kids who really love art. You can tell they put a lot of effort into it,” she said. “Waterville Creates and Colby make Youth Art Month very special. It gives creative kids a chance to shine. I’m really proud of them.”

While YAM normally ends at the end of March, Waterville Creates has extended it this year through April 6 because they partnered with the Colby College Museum of Art and the Colby Arts Office to host the Maine Art Educators Spring Conference for the first time. It is a statewide event that will bring art educators from around Maine to Waterville and spotlight the vibrant art spaces and creative community in Waterville.

“(Youth Art Month) is a great way to support local youth, arts in the community, and art teachers and the work they do,” Sugden said.