The annual Art Expo presented by The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Department of Art, Art History, and Design showcases the talents of area high school students. Attendees at the 2024 event view works of art in the Wilson Hall Gallery. This year’s program happens Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.
Jenny Russell-Clifton
The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Department of Art, Art History, and Design is promoting the next generation of artists from area high schools through the annual Art Expo on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 12:30 to 6 p.m. at Wilson Hall on the UAH campus. UAH is part of The University of Alabama System.
Tours of the UAH art facilities and participatory art demonstrations will lead up to the highlights of the event: a gallery viewing and reception honoring Art Expo participants and the awards ceremony.
The program is designed to inspire and encourage young artists, but event organizers enjoy it just as much as the students.
A student explores entries in the 2024 Art Expo.
Jenny Russell-Clifton
"The High School Art Expo is one of my favorite events of the year!” said Kathryn Jill Johnson, Department Chair of Art, Art History, and Design and Professor of Art, Painting and Drawing in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
“Seeing the creative work of high schoolers from around the Tennessee Valley is inspiring. This year’s exhibit is especially strong, highly skilled work, with unexpected original ideas and approaches. The event is a wonderful opportunity for us to show off our outstanding programs and facilities to top high school art students, and it is a pleasure to honor their accomplishments.”
The works of students who entered Art Expo 2025 are currently on view in Wilson Hall Gallery, Room 160. That’s where Saturday’s activities will start with guided tours through UAH art facilities, including studios and labs dedicated to animation, graphic design, painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture and game design. The three tours begin at 12:30 p.m., 12:45 p.m. and 1 p.m.
Two sessions of hands-on art demonstrations are scheduled from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Each session lasts 45 minutes with the first from 1:45 to 2:30 p.m. and the second from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. Options include the following:
- Book Arts: Notebook with Postcard Pocket, Wilson Hall, Room 355 – Create a hand-stitched notebook with a pocket for postcards. Each student will fold a pocket and bind the pages. Then they can decorate postcards and the pages of their books.
- Build A Game, Wilson Hall, Room 201 – A 2D platformer game comes to life from scratch using Unreal Engine. Students can see how characters, environments and controls come together, and they can even help shape the game that’s being built. This interactive session is a great way to explore how creativity and technology combine in Game Design.
- Photograms: Cameraless Photography, Wilson Hall, Room 182 – Learn a simple technique to make photographic prints without a camera by placing objects on light-sensitive paper.
- Storyboarding: A Small Animation Plan, Wilson Hall, Room 205 – Learn key animator tips and tricks to plan out and board your very own animation. No experience or high-level drawing skills are necessary; all you need is curiosity and a desire to explore the world of bringing drawings to life.
Faculty and guests can celebrate the work of talented Art Expo participants from 3 to 5 p.m. during the gallery viewing and reception in Wilson Hall Gallery, Room 160. Johnson promises a “vibrant showcase of creativity” as well as light refreshments to enjoy.
The Art Expo awards ceremony will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. in Morton Hall, Room 145. Winners will be selected from each category along with the Admitted Student Artistic Excellence Award and Best in Show.
Awards include one-year UAH scholarships starting at $1,000 and a chance to participate in a special exhibition in the UAH Lowe Mill A&E project space or be selected as a summer artist in residence at the project space.