Yuma student photographers showcase work at Art Center exhibit

Downtown Yuma is giving student photographers a professional gallery wall. 3-Way Exposure: Kofa x San Luis x Cibola opened at the Yuma Art Center, where advanced digital photography students from Kofa High School, San Luis High School and Cibola High School are showing work that was created in level three classes.

The exhibit runs through Aug. 21, with public hours Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. A free reception is scheduled for June 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., giving families, classmates and other visitors a chance to see the work in person and meet the young artists behind it.

The partnership between the Yuma Union High School District and the Art Center places student images in the same downtown space that regularly serves the broader public, a move that turns class assignments into an actual exhibition experience. City of Yuma Gallery and Public Art Coordinator Kristyn K. Trujillo said the Art Center was glad to collaborate with the schools, and pointed to events like the annual Children’s Festival in April and this exhibit as ways to recognize Yuma’s next generation of artists. Kofa photography teacher Adrianne Comstock said the gallery opening gives students a chance to professionally showcase their skills and interact with the community.

That public connection matters in a county where school news often centers on academics and athletics. Here, the payoff is visible: students are building portfolios, résumés and college or career applications while Yuma residents get to see what advanced photography looks like when it moves beyond the classroom. The show also reflects a wider arts pipeline in Yuma, where the Art Center has already served as a public platform for youth work. In April, the 33rd Annual Children’s Festival of the Arts featured more than 1,000 pieces of student artwork from across Yuma County and Winterhaven.

The districtwide reach is part of the story too. YUHSD school websites repeated the announcement across Kofa, San Luis and Cibola, underscoring that this is not a single-campus display but a shared effort. A reception listing for June 26 names participating students including Abraham Rios, Francisco Perez, Andrea Estrada, Maryjo Martinez, Amanda Madrigal, Gloria Reyna, Ximena Diaz, Raul Lara and Jacob Bonillas, giving the community a specific chance to put faces to the work on the wall.