On Friday, Aug. 6, Des Moines area youth will have an opportunity to showcase their artistic gifts at the third annual Support Local Youth Talent event. The performances, which are free, begin at 6 p.m. in Bud’s Place in Grand View University’s Nielsen Hall, 1555 Hull Ave.
The event was designed to highlight local youth talent in everything from poetry to singing. Christine Her, an English and writing junior at Drake University, and Thao Pham, a sophomore at Iowa State University, organized the performances to promote young people’s talents and interests in the arts.
“I’m hoping that this event will empower, encourage and expose the youth and young adults in our communities to express themselves through the arts,” Her said. “There are many who support them and they have every right to express themselves through the arts.”
The event began as a way for local youth of Asian and Pacific Islander descent to find a welcoming performance environment. Her said that this year’s event was moving beyond ethnic ties.
“We hope we can break those cultural barriers that we have in all of our communities in Iowa and just support each other through the arts,” Her said.
For more information, contact Christine Her at christine.her@drake.edu or 515-745-5705.