DSD Juried Student Art Show
The DSD Student Exhibition is a juried exhibition celebrating the creativity, skill, and artistic voice of middle school and high school students from across the Davis School District. This annual exhibition highlights the best young artists in the district while introducing students to professional artistic practices, including preparing work for exhibition, submitting artwork for review, and participating in a formal juried selection process.
Call for Artists Open Now
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Jaxsen M. Layton
2026 Juror
Layton is a Utah based artist with a Bachelors in Fine Arts from Weber State University with an emphasis on two-dimensional artwork. Using drawing and painting as a vehicle to display the dichotomy and nuances of life. He is influenced by biology, organic forms, anatomy, technology, and psychological processes.
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I explore cognitive processes—conscious, subconscious, and unconscious—as accumulations of past, present, and future influences. Translating these into visual form creates a freeze frame of thought, idea, and emotion—an intimate, ever-shifting realm unique to each individual and akin to the soul. Through body, botanical and organic form, color, media, texture, interaction, and repetition, I create spaces that echo life’s constant ebb and flow: ambiguous, fluid, and never fixed in meaning.
Juror-Led Artist Selection
The DSD Student Exhibition is juried by a guest artist selected for their professional experience and commitment to mentorship.
Through this process, students gain firsthand insight into how artwork is evaluated in professional contexts, learning how artistic intent, craftsmanship, originality, and presentation factor into curatorial decision-making. The juried format emphasizes both excellence and growth, reinforcing art as a serious and meaningful pursuit.
Awards are presented in multiple categories, with winners selected at both the middle school and high school levels. Cash prizes are awarded to first-place winners in each category in recognition of outstanding artistic achievement.
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In addition, one graduating senior is selected as Best in Show and awarded a Summer Artist Residency at BDAC, providing a rare opportunity for a young artist to work in a professional arts center, develop their practice, and engage with the creative community beyond the classroom.
Awards &
Recgonition
The DSD Art Show recognizes students for their artistic merit, creativity, and dedication to their work. Being selected for a juried exhibition affirms the time, effort, and thought students invest in their practice, offering meaningful validation at a formative stage in their artistic development.
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By highlighting exceptional student work in a professional gallery setting, the exhibition fosters the next generation of artists and creative thinkers. It signals to young people that their ideas matter, their voices are valued, and their creative efforts deserve to be seen and celebrated. For many students, this experience serves as a pivotal moment—building confidence, encouraging continued exploration, and reinforcing the possibility of art as a lifelong pursuit.
Celebrating
Student
Achievement
BDAC is a free art center, welcoming our community to experience exhibitions, programs, and creative opportunities without financial barriers. We believe access to art should be open to all.
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At the same time, creating and sustaining exhibitions like this one is not without cost. For those who are able, we invite you to consider making a donation to help support the administrative, curatorial, and programmatic work that makes opportunities like the DSD Student Exhibition possible. Your generosity helps ensure that we can continue recognizing young artists, fostering the next generation of creatives, and keeping programs like this accessible to students and families across our community.
Sponsor the DSD
Art Show
Sponsoring the DSD Student Exhibition is a meaningful way to invest in the next generation of artists and creative thinkers in our community. Sponsors directly support student awards and help recognize exceptional artistic achievement by young people across the district.
