Public invited to meet the artist and celebrate the exhibition at the ppening reception on Thursday, May 14 from 5-8 PM.
More Than 300 Students from 20 Area High Schools Come Together for SOPAC’s Beloved Annual Celebration of Youth Creativity
RSVP to the Reception | March 19The South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) is proud to announce the opening of INSPIRED MINDS: Young Artist Exhibition on view in the Herb + Milly Iris Gallery beginning Thursday, May 14, 2026. The Opening Reception takes place that evening at 5:00 PM and is free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended.
Now a cherished tradition on the SOPAC calendar, Inspired Minds stands as one of the most vibrant and kinetic evenings of the year — a night when the gallery comes alive with the energy of young artists, their families, teachers, and proud communities, all gathered to celebrate the extraordinary creative talent emerging from the region’s high schools.
More than 300 students from 20 area high schools submitted over 1,000 original works for consideration, spanning a breathtaking range of genres and media, including photography, digital art, painting (acrylic, oil, and watercolor), drawing (charcoal, pastel, pencil, and ink), sculpture, fiber arts, and ceramics. Of those submissions, 70 pieces were selected for inclusion in the exhibition.
“Inspired Minds is everything SOPAC’s Arts in Education mission looks like in practice,” said Linda Beard, SOPAC’s Director of Education. “This is not a competition. It is a celebration. It is a night when we say to young artists across our region: your work matters, your voice matters, and you deserve a professional stage on which to share it.”
The Realization of SOPAC’s Arts in Education Mission
The Inspired Minds exhibition was established in the spirit of the Gallery’s namesake, Milly Iris, who was deeply passionate about providing opportunities for emerging artists. In honoring her legacy, SOPAC has made this annual exhibition a cornerstone of its Arts in Education programming, an initiative rooted in the belief that arts education is not a supplement to learning but essential to it.
Selected student artists experience every dimension of a professional exhibition: juried selection, professional installation, a formal Opening Reception, a multi-week public exhibition, and in some cases, the opportunity to sell their work. For many participants, Inspired Minds marks their first experience presenting art in a professional gallery context — a meaningful milestone at any stage of an artistic life.
Participating Schools
This year, students from the following schools submitted work for consideration:
Arts High School | Bergen County Academies | Cedar Grove High School | Central High School | Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts | Columbia High School | Irvington High School | James Caldwell High School | Lacordaire Academy | Livingston High School | Malcolm X Shabazz High School | Memorial High School | Millburn High School | Newark Academy | Nutley High School | Orange High School | Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School | Seton Hall Preparatory School | Verona High School | West Orange High School
The breadth of participating schools reflects both the depth of SOPAC’s relationships with educators across Essex County and beyond, and the growing reputation of Inspired Minds as a destination exhibition for young visual artists in the region.
To inquire about purchasing artwork from the exhibition, contact Linda Beard at (973) 382-1035 or lindab@sopacnow.org.
Inspired Minds is sponsored by the Iris Family Foundation. Framing is generously donated by the South Orange Frame Shop.
Featured Artwork:
From Softness to Sternness: A Reflection of Self-Judgment by Ekaterina Kalisteva
Trypophobia by Eliana Barker
The Braided Crown by Zariah Azor
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Exhibition: Inspired Minds: Young Artist Exhibition
Venue: The Herb + Milly Iris Gallery at SOPAC
On View: May 14 – August 16
Opening Reception: Thursday, May 14 | 5–8PM (Free & open to the public)
More about the Exhibition