Kendyl Margaret-Ann Hoffmann (left) and Ella Forst were recognized as the Artists of the Month at the Grand Center for Arts & Culture on Friday.

NEW ULM — The Grand Center of the Arts held its December Artist of the Month Reception Friday.

This month included pieces created by Ella Forst and Kendyl Margaret-Ann Hoffmann.

Forst, 17, is a senior at Cathedral High School. Her piece was a self-portrait using a mix of paint and pencil. Forst said she began the piece on a whim. Forst said she was struggling at the time and this is reflected in the color choices. Forst said drawing is her preferred medium and hopes to continue her art in some form.

Hoffmann, 15, is a sophomore at New Ulm High School. Her piece is a black and white sketch of her favorite musical artist Robin Daniel Skinner, also known as Cavetown. Hoffmann said the portrait was created as a class project. She said the greatest challenge of creating the piece was getting the shading correct. Since it is a black and white sketch, the different shadows and values were important. Hoffmann said she will likely improve on the portrait at later time.

Each month during the school year, The Grand celebrates local artists in the New Ulm schools. The two pieces will hang at The Grand for the next month for the public to view.