Crooked Tree Arts Center Showcases Thousands of K-12 Student Works This Spring

The Carnegie and Cornwell galleries at Crooked Tree Arts Center on Sixth Street in Traverse City opened today filled with thousands of student artworks, kicking off the center's annual Youth Arts Show and running through April 11.

The exhibition draws on K-12 students and educators from throughout the Grand Traverse region, spanning every level of schooling and representing what CTAC describes as "an explosion of color and creativity" covering gallery walls floor to ceiling. Both the Carnegie and Cornwell gallery spaces are in use for the duration of the show.

The first public milestone after opening day is a free awards reception this Sunday, March 15, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at CTAC's Traverse City location at 322 Sixth St. The ceremony will honor the 2026 Youth Arts Awards honorees and winners, recognizing standout work from both the Youth Arts Show and the Youth Arts College Scholarships program. Refreshments will follow the awards portion of the afternoon.

Alongside the exhibition, CTAC is offering two $2,000 college scholarships for graduating high school seniors in the region. The scholarship application opened January 19, with a deadline of March 22 for consideration. Family members of CTAC staff or its Board of Directors are not eligible. Scholarship winners will be invited to a separate Youth Arts Award Night reception at CTAC's Petoskey location on Thursday, April 16, at 6:00 PM, and will also be recognized at their individual school award ceremonies.

CTAC is accepting donations to sponsor student awards or scholarship funding at both the Petoskey and Traverse City locations. The Youth Arts Show remains on view through April 11.