STEP UP GALLERY News:

The Los Alamos Public Schools celebrate student art month and the New Mexico Year of Arts in Education with a colorful display of hundreds of artworks made by students from Pre-K through high school seniors. Step Up Gallery at Mesa Public Library hosts this annual show, which opened today.

The district’s art team goes above and beyond to prepare the show for hanging. The teachers are collecting and labeling the art works, planning how work will be displayed, choosing representative pieces and boxing things up to transport them to the gallery. The art show team is led by middle school art teachers Claire Stewart and Elizabeth Fischer.

Stewart said she sees art making as a way to build community.

“Art creates connection. It helps people find one another, share meaning, and feel seen,” Stewart said. “As a universal language, it allows us to communicate experiences that are difficult to put into words—and in doing so, it fosters a sense of belonging.”

The exhibit will be on display through March 24.

Step Up Gallery (https://stepupgallery.org) is on the top level of Mesa Public Library in Los Alamos, at 2400 Central Ave. The gallery is open the same hours as the library: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.