Art students each submitted two works for the fundraiser, ranging from traditional paintings to more outside the box pieces, such as a lamp.

DEL NORTE— The High Valley Community Center showcased teenage talent at HVCC headquarters on Nov. 15, auctioning off artwork to fund a road trip to Denver to see Disney on Ice and eat excellent meals.
Featuring two works apiece from HVCC teenagers, the art auction included multiple paintings with the Colorado state flag design motif. But the young artists also manufactured lamps, created illuminated displays, carved sculptures, and crafted jewelry.
“I hear $65. I hear 70? Do I hear 75? That’s the average we need to reach our $1,500 goal,” noted emcee Luke Yoder as audience members raised numbered paper plates glued to Popsicle sticks. “Going once, going twice… sold for $70 here to dad.”
Adam Atencio was the highest bidder for the hand-carved knife his son Tytus created.
Jonna Skadberg designed a framed mosaic and assembled a custom lamp that ultimately sold for $110.
Heaven Howard also used mosaic tiles to create a table, and she made coasters out of yarn too.
Deangelo Montoya painted a Colorado flag design image, and he recreated an optical illusion with pencil.
Joseph Trujillo created a sand-art piece and a painted wooden tank.
Joseph Sandoval also created a painted wooden vehicle, and he carefully assembled a sand painting with the Colorado flag layout.
Orion King crafted a light box called “Orion’s Belt” to display the Orion constellation, and he showed the start of a painting called “Broken America.”
Madison Moore painted a detailed sunflower image and created a pair of earrings called “Pretty in Pink.”
MaKenna Moore auctioned off a photograph of a sunflower at sunrise and a painting called, “Crashing Wave.”
Arielle Atencio painted a close-up of the sun with the quote “Let Your Light Shine.” Her second piece, “Edible Art,” was a tantalizing tower of cupcakes.
Executive Director Adrienne Atencio praised the HVCC teenagers for not only their artistic talent, but their presentations as well.
“It’s always hard to speak in public. I give an extra shout-out to them for being able to stand up here and do this,” Atencio said. “We push the kids to do this every year. It’s a huge thing they’re learning to do.”