Albuquerque Public Schools
2026 Metro Youth Art Exhibit Opens
The exhibit will be open from April 8 through April 28.
Each year, the Albuquerque Public School Visual and Performing Arts department sponsors many events. This month, it is the Metro Youth Art Exhibit, featuring 1,200 examples of APS middle and high school art and representing upwards of a thousand visual arts students. Every APS middle school and high school is represented at this monumental, professionally juried art exhibit, making this the all-time highest number of participants.
Metro will launch with a Preview Merit Night on April 7, where donors, community partners, administrators and teachers are invited to view the works, and select pieces to receive merit and purchase awards. The show officially opens on April 8 and runs through April 28, where it will close with an awards ceremony, live music and reception for the students and their families.
Jurors are artists and educators with experience and expertise in their particular category. In addition, advanced art students selected by their high school art teachers serve as jurors to select one piece in each category to receive the Students’ Choice Award. Ribbons will be given for first through third place in each category, as well as for honorable mentions. The City of Albuquerque Public Arts Program will continue its tradition of purchasing several pieces from the show to become part of the city’s permanent public art collection. Bernalillo County also selects some pieces for their permanent collection. UNM Art, Frank Frost Photography, and this year, NM United, each will award a scholarship to a high school senior.
The exhibit will be on display at the APS Berna Facio Professional Development Complex, 3315 Louisiana Blvd. NE. Exhibit hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 and April 18. On April 18, our community partners, the Sandia Federal Credit Union, will be present, and there will be an opportunity to offer Merit Awards for the student artists. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
