Isabella Williams, a 10th grade student from Minneosota Valley Lutheran (MVL) by her mixed media painting “The Lake Held Our Memories,” which won the Peoples’ Choice Award at The Grand’s Youth Art Exhibit. Photo by Clay Schuldt

NEW ULM – The votes are in and the winner of The Grand’s High School Youth Art Exhibit People’s Choice Award is “The Lake Held Our Memories” by Isabella Williams.

The Grand Center for Arts and Culture recently concluded a youth art exhibit which featured the work of dozens of area high school arts students. The public was invited to vote for their favorite pieces at the exhibit. This year the most votes went to a painting by Williams, a 10th grade Minnesota Valley Lutheran (MVL) student.

The painting depicts a young girl fishing from a couch that is floating in the middle of a lake. The painting itself is framed by a collage of fishing lures and advertisements for fishing lures.

Williams said she made the painting in memory of her grandfather who died two years ago. Williams went fishing with her grandfather a lot. The couch depicted in the lake was her grandfathers favorite place to sit. In the painting, only a single person is sitting on the couch fishing, but the reflection of a second person can be seen in the lake. Williams said this is intended to be a reflection of her grandfather. All of the lures and fishing ad information along the boarder were items that belonged to her grandfather as well.

In creating the piece, Williams said she wanted to add different layers and textures. The painting itself was created on overlapping segments of paper to give a sense of depth. The fishing pole and fishing line are three-dimensioal additions that extend outside of the painting.

Williams said this was a departure from her typical artwork. She usually prefers two-dimensional sketch work.

“I wanted it to pop out,” Williams said, “I didn’t want it to just be black and white. I wanted to push myself.”

Williams said she was surprised to learn she won the People’s Choice Award, but was happy to learn the piece was well received.

Williams said she plans to continue making art in some capacity. After high school she hopes to get into two-dimensional animation.