The Orcas Center will be holding its annual show to feature the work of young artists this May.

The show, entitled, “Cutting Age,” will open with a reception at the center on Friday May 1 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. featuring musical entertainment from a teen ensemble, food and beverages.

The shows title emphases the teen artists’ discovery of themselves, the world and their place in it. This show’s goal is to provide a window on those discoveries by the young artists.

The art will be hung in the center lobby and the Madrona room will feature the work of elementary school artists.

Work in all mediums, including three-dimensional sculpture and digital art, will be accepted. Artists interested in submitting a finished piece for the show should contact the show director Martin Taylor to discuss their work. Two-dimensional artwork submissions should be mounted and ready to hang.

Anyone 19 years of age or younger who lives on Orcas is eligible to participate.

To encourage teenagers to submit artwork this year the organizers are offering a $300 prize for the piece judged best-in-show and awarded “Orcas Center Cutting Age Young Artist of 2009” by the Orcas Center Visual Arts Committee.

Taylor is seeking funds to expand the art show prizes to include scholarship awards to provide financial support to students interested in pursuing the arts in college.

Young artists and those interested in providing scholarship funds may contact Taylor at 376-6935 or martin@ednagallery.com.