From fantastic, flying worlds to portraits of Donald Trump and Danny DeVito, the children and teen participants of Waterfall Arts’ Young Artists Takeover exhibition offers a glimpse into what motivates them to paint, draw, sculpt and collage.

For the fourth year, Waterfall Arts’ Clifford Gallery has held this showcase featuring the creative work from artists in a half dozen area schools, ranging from preschool to high school. Waterfall Arts presented its Bridge Alumni Award to Joseph Potter, a photographer and senior at Belfast Area High School who went through the Bridge Afterschool Art Program as a sixth-grader.

His work is located just outside the Bridge door and his bio states: “Most of my work takes place in the outdoors. My goal with photography is to explore the capabilities of the camera from close-up to 11,00 feet in the sky.”

The artwork on display offers a range, from dark to humorous, from splashy, primary finger paintings to fine pen and ink. Some of it was assigned; some of it came from the young artist’s creative inspiration. From homeschooled students to those attending public school, each piece in this year’s Takeover offers a glimpse into nature, social justice, animals and even the cult of celebrity.

March 5 is Arts Advocacy Day; a day to appreciate how the Arts are impacting children’s and teenager’s lives and to emphasize to Congress and schools nationwide the value and impact of art education for students.

This following photo gallery below is a sample of one of the hundreds of pieces on display. Each piece is labeled. The ages and grades of some of the artists will be surprising, upon first glance.

The artwork hangs until March 29. The gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information visit: waterfallarts.org

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com