Youth and Creativity: Watching Talent Grow

SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA—Crayons and finger paints are how it often begins. Drawing unrecognizable shapes; blending reds and yellows and greens for no reason other than to see what happens; connecting the dots to show a cat’s face or a barn with a silo; feeling the pride of seeing your ‘art’ taped to the refrigerator. 

Ah, yes – very rewarding for a kindergartner or first-grader. And that’s just visual art!

There’s plenty to debate about how we apply imagination, discern our creative strengths, or identify what leads us to artistic pursuits – perhaps even to an eventual career in the arts.

As important as those questions may be, one of Root River Current’s recent goals was to learn what experiences exist in our region to feed a young person’s interest in creative expression and gaining skills in the arts.

While we haven’t discovered everything that exists in our communities, we are pleased with what has surfaced this past year among our roving content contributors – programs, experiences, school activities, camps and so much more that provide special opportunities for kids of all ages to learn more about the arts – and themselves.

Check ‘em out – be inspired!

Flourish at DreamAcres: 20 Years of Youth, Arts and Agriculture in Rural Minnesota

Flourish at DreamAcres, the unique summer camp near Wykoff that has blended arts and agriculture into youth activities for 20 years, mixes “soil and stage” to feed the creative spirit of its students.

Youth of All Ages Engage in Creative Summer Arts Programs

Summer arts programs for area youth teach collaboration, creativity and community involvement; our photos and video montage capture their enthusiasm!

Classical Music Echoes Through the Valley

The Stringwood Chamber Music Festival returned to the Root River Valley in 2025 for its 25th year of chamber music concerts, instruction and performance.

Telling Stories Through Photos

A student program at Lanesboro High School energizes student photographers in their pursuits to see the world in a more artistic way.

Additional stories related to youth, the arts and creativity

Stand Up, Speak Up

We go behind the scenes to meet students who are learning to be expressive in telling a story, how to interpret other’s words in a dramatic presentation, how to express their own ideas in a well-crafted speech – and how to compete on a high school speech team. 

Essay | The Power of Storytelling

Contributor Sandy Webb experiences what ‘kids of all ages’ can learn from Houston County storyteller Terry Visger who conducts workshops for teachers, children and adults, and presents family storytelling programs at southeastern Minnesota’s regional libraries.

Essay | Creative Skills and Kids

Artist Renee Bergstrom’s formula for a “lifetime of joy” – how incorporating creativity into our experiences, beginning as kids, not only supports our developing artistic skills, but also life skills for channeling anxiety and depression throughout our lifetime.

Mainspring, Building Community Through Art

Among its various offerings, this relatively-new Caledonia arts organization offers youth programs through its Youth Art Collective. 

 

Root River Current’s coverage of the arts is made possible, in part, by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.