The Nerman Art Gallery, just to the side of JCCC’s theater building, bustled with the feeling of fancy nightlife at 3 p.m., but a tense aura hovered in the air. All over Johnson County teen artists had been nominated by their schools to participate in the Shooting Stars program. This is a competition of expression, the most fluent walks home with a $1,400 scholarship, and the pride of being the best in their genre. The stage was set, the lights focused into the center stage, and the winner is… but that will have to wait, there was much more to the party than just an award ceremony.

The Shooting Stars program, established in 1997 by Robert G. Enders, began with 27 finalists and now boasts over 1,000 to date, and every year the program hosts a gala to celebrate the young artists of  Johnson Countys’ high school community. Southwest sent three Timberwolves to the competition.

“I was very proud of the students,” art teacher Shawn Stelter said. “People don’t realize how much effort this takes.”

The event started with a viewing of the artistic projects by the participants. Senior Sydney Lenz was featured as one of the gallery artists. From the colorful to the monochrome, the pieces were fantastic.

“I was excited to see students work getting displayed at the museum,” Stelter said.

The lobby was piled high with hors d’oeuvres, and the influential of society intermingled with the potential artists of tomorrow. Around 3:30 the finalists were gathered, and it was off to the theater where the winners would be announced.

The categories of competition included 2D and 3D art, theater acting, winds and percussion, and others. a first and second place winner is selected from each category and are recipients of $700, and $1,400 scholarships.