The 15th annual Kent Student Art Walk is under way in downtown Kent, featuring art from nearly 500 students from every corner of the Kent School District.

“It just gets bigger and better every year,” said Jacquie Alexander, executive director of the Kent Downtown Partnership, one of the hosts of the two-week event.

More than 20 stores and the Centennial Center Gallery will host various art submitted from each school in city.

Each location will feature work from a different school, while the Centennial Center will include work from Mill Creek Middle School and Kent-Meridian High School.

Some schools have tried to tie-in their art with their gallery as well. For example, according to East Hill Elementary School Principal Kyle Good, the pieces chosen from his school reflect a balanced approach, which toes in with their display at the Balanced Athlete on First Street.

“The kids seem to like that,” Good said of the theme.

Good said students from his school were looking forward to seeing their art on display.

“They really feel like artists,” he said.

According to Kent Visual Arts Coordinator Cheryl Dos Remedios, the event is an opportunity to spotlight the creativity of Kent’s kids during National Youth Arts Month.

“It’s a way for the community to celebrate children’s creativity,” she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the community to recognize the accomplishments of youth.”

Good agreed, adding that art is sometimes a good way to reach students who would otherwise be difficult to teach.

“For a lot of our kids that’s the in-road, that’s the way we can get them into reading and math,” he said, adding that his school has been working to integrate arts with other areas of learning, partially through a grant from Arts Education Washington.

“It’s kind of the way kids brains work,” he said of the integrated approach.

Along with the art displays, which are housed throughout the downtown core as well as at Kent Station, the KDP is planning for a live event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at Kherson Park, featuring free entertainment and raffles.

Among the performers are firedancers Pyrosutra Incendiary Dance, a demonstration by Goju Karate Center, Shifter Rock-n-Roll Band, South Side Dance Force, and the Bug Chef, David George Gordon.

In the past, the live events were spread over multiple days, but this year, it is all happening on a single night, Friday.

“Having everything happen at once will be a very exciting display,” Dos Remedios said.

Also new this year, according to Alexander, are metal signs, designed by Greg Bartol of Studio B Custom Design, whose work also can be seen up and down First Avenue.

Free activities also are planned at several downtown businesses, including Bug-A-Rama at AAA Pest, bracelet making at Earthworks, Discover Your Inner Artist at Bella Home & Garden, a fitness workshop at Balanced Athlete, a rubber-stamping workshop at American Charm, and cookie decorating at Bev’s Cucina.

“It just gets bigger and better every year,” Alexander said.

Artwork is on display March 9 – 20.

The downtown businesses have varying hours.

The Centennial Center Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For more information or directions to the gallery, located at 400 West Gowe Street, contact the Kent Arts Commission at artscommission@ci.kent.wa.us or 253-856-5050.

For more Art Walk information, including a map of locations and school displays, visit www.spring

intoartkent.com