Cutwell 4 Kid's seventh annual "The Birth of an Artist" show will be held tonight, and for the first time in the event's history, it will be a virtual show.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the art show, featuring seven young artists and five young poets, was forced to turn to a digital platform to allow it to happen. The event starts at 7 p.m., and will last until 9 p.m.
Anthony Tidwell, founder of C4K, said putting on a virtual art show has been different. "It's new. I've gotten used to (in-person shows). I could do the other show blindfolded," he said, noting he "knew what to expect" with those shows after doing them for six years.
For tonight's event, Tidwell said they will show a 45-minute video that features 65 pieces of art the students have made, each of which will be available for sale, and feature the poetry of five students.
The video will start shortly after 7 p.m., and afterward, Tidwell and the students will be available to speak to people via Zoom. Tidwell noted that when a viewer sees a piece of artwork they like, they can ask for the artist on Zoom and discuss a price for the piece.
Tidwell said artwork will be sold for prices between $20 to $200. "I'm hoping all of (the artists) will be on (Zoom)," he added. All of the money made from artwork sales will go to the artists.
Seeing the young artists make sales, he said, is the highlight of the program and both the students and their parents get a kick out of seeing the art being sold.
Tidwell said he is happy with how the poetry portion of the program has gone and how it "gives more of a positive outlet" for the students.
In addition to selling the artwork of the students, the event is also a charity to help raise money to start an endowment for C4K. Tidwell said the program has to get $10,000 to get the endowment with all of the money raised tonight via donations going toward the goal.
Tidwell said they have already started getting donations, noting "Red Light Roastery stepped up."
Tonight's show serves as the end of C4K's season and regardless of how it goes, Tidwell said he is happy with how the program and the students were able to overcome all the issues the pandemic created.
"I'm just overjoyed at the fact we completed our seventh year," he said.
While Tidwell noted the program saw a drop off in participants when they were forced to do the classes via Zoom, he said the students who stuck with it "are so happy to be a part of something at this time."
The Zoom link for the show is https://bit.ly/2CcqKdU.