The Comox Valley’s newest young artists are inviting you to help them celebrate their art in a special gallery opening event to support local children and youth.

A gallery viewing event at Mudsharks will be held on September 6 from 4 – 5 pm to share the creative talents of the Valley’s kids. The paintings, including an original piece by Laura Furness, will be available for purchase with all proceeds supporting children and youth to participate in KidStart.

The gallery event follows an afternoon of painting for kids hosted by John Howard KidStart, Mudsharks Coffee Bar, and local artist Laura Furness that took place on July 14. Now it’s time for these talented kids to experience being a professional artist by having their paintings displayed in the Mudsharks Gallery for the month of September.

KidStart is a volunteer-based mentoring program offered by The John Howard Society of North Island. It pairs adult mentors with children and youth ages 6-18 who could benefit from building a positive relationship with a buddy, getting out in the community, and having fun. The Kids’ Art for KidStart fundraiser is now in its third year.

Come down to Mudsharks on September 6 to check out these budding artists and help them in supporting local young people! For more information, contact The John Howard Society’s Courtenay office at 250-338-7341.