Simpson Elementary School third-grader Presli West submitted a painting.

FRANKLIN – Gallery on the Square is more densely packed with artwork than it has been in a year.

About 250 paintings, drawings and mixed-media projects from the 26th annual Young Artists Show will compete for space on Gallery on the Square’s southern wall for the rest of April.The gallery’s longest-running annual show features art from Simpson County students, according to Lisa Deavers, the gallery’s director.

“Part of our mission is art education and to encourage young artists, and we’re very fortunate that we have some exceptional art teachers in our school system that work with the students,” she said.

Deavers also said the Young Artists Show is one of the gallery’s largest in terms of attendance and community interest.

“It’s just enjoyable for the community,” she said. “Everybody comes in to see it, whether they have children in the school system or not.”

The artwork was arranged in columns along much of the southern wall, with paintings, drawings and other pieces positioned on top of one another almost to the ceiling.

The pieces were arranged loosely by the age of the artist, with art from first-graders near the windows at the front of the gallery and pieces by high school students near the back.

There were a few three-dimensional pieces as well, such as papier-mache food sculptures in the center of the gallery’s front half.

All artwork was paired with a card identifying the artist, their grade level and the school they attend, but no title for any of the art was provided.

Deavers said the artwork for the show is chosen by the district’s art teachers, who each pick up to 50 pieces each year.

One of those teachers is Mike Ballard, who teaches art and drama at Simpson Elementary School. He’s been submitting student art for two decades.

“It’s my 20th year in it, and I think it’s one of the most wonderful things we have in Simpson County,” he said. “All students in Simpson County have a chance to participate in visual art from the time they’re in kindergarten to the time they’re in 12th grade, which is kind of unusual because a lot of systems have cut out art and music.”

Ballard said he mainly submits art from students considered to be gifted artists.

“In a lot of ways, their art really sticks out above and beyond the kids who maybe don’t care,” he said, though he added that all students can still be included.

Ballard has seen students’ artistic talents mature through the years, and the show allows him to reunite with former students he otherwise wouldn’t see again.

When he sees former students again at the reception that begins each Young Artists Show, he always asks them if they remember anything they did in his class and if they still have any of the work they produced while they were his student.

“Nine times out of 10, it’s yes and yes. ‘I still remember something I did and I still have it,’ ” he said.

Deavers said the gallery brings the Young Artists Show back every year because of the strong community turnout and the impact it has on the county’s students.

“The first time you see a child come in here and they’re excited to see their work on a gallery wall, that just makes you want to do it over and over again,” she said.

Every year, the Young Artists Show’s opening reception draws a crowd of about 400 people, Deavers said.

“It’s a hit because any time you involve children, their parents and their grandparents, even community, want to see them succeed and they want to see what their strengths are,” she said. “It is funny when you come into a lot of it, the parent or grandparent will come in and see that child’s work on the wall and they’ll say, ‘Well I didn’t know they had that talent,’ because it may not be something they’re doing at home.”