Students from 16 high schools from Montgomery, Berks, and Chester counties will be sharing their talents at Montgomery County Community College’s 9th Annual Tri-County High School Art Exhibition and Competition. The event takes place on the Pottstown campus.

This free exhibition features 170 pieces of artwork and opens Wednesday, Feb. 22. There will be a reception and awards ceremony from 5–7 PM.

“We’re grateful for the terrific turnout for the exhibit this year. We have a record number of pieces on display, and I’m continually impressed with the quality and creativity of the artwork,” said Patrick Rodgers, MCCC Galleries Director.

“Area art teachers are doing amazing projects with their students, and this is a great glimpse of the exuberance and inspiration taking place in classrooms from Reading to Springfield Township.”

This year’s juror, Rhonda Counts, is an independent artist, a designer by background and a former Disney Imagineer. She selected several pieces for special recognition, including:

• Madison Cappel, “Waterdrops in Nature,” photography, Perkiomen Valley High School
• Mia Davis, “Portrait with Bowl of Fruit,” acrylic, Daniel Boone High School
• Ashely Evitts, “In a Dream,” ceramics, Upper Merion Area High School
• Daylen Haynes, “Techno Music,” Adobe Illustrator/mixed media, Spring-Ford High School
• Samantha Hobbs, “Spike the Gravitational Pull,” Spring-Ford High School
• Marina Lauer, “Paranoia,” mixed media, Governor Mifflin High School
• Amanda McGee, “Social Anxiety,” yarn, Souderton High School
• Summer Mellow, “Blue Wave,” batik, Methacton High School
• Lucia Reeves, “Childish Imagination,” Springfield Township High School
• Adam Schwulst, “Abstract No. 1,” mixed media, Pottsgrove High School

This year’s Best in Show, a $50 award sponsored by the Pottstown Area Artist’s Guild, was awarded to Wenlan Jin from The Hill School for “Preparation,” an oil on canvas.

Second place ($50) went to Bridget Metzger from Spring-Ford High School for “Samsara,” a mixed media of acrylic, alcohol markers, and colored pencil.

Third place ($50) was awarded to Brooke Banninger of Owen J. Roberts High School for “The Wallowing Woman,” ceramics. The Juror’s Choice Award ($50) was awarded to Maddy Sterner of Spring-Ford High School for “Burnout,” mixed media sculpture.

The exhibit will be open through March 24 but will be closed March 13-17 for spring break.

For more information about the exhibit or MCCC’s galleries, visit the website at mc3.edu/galleries.

Amazing Arts Race is a two-week summer camp at Montgomery County Community College.