Live music performed by students, plus nearly 150 pieces of art highlighted a show Thursday night at North Whidbey Middle School.

Students from both North Whidbey and Oak Harbor middle schools gathered artwork they recently produced to display for their parents, fellow students and residents during “Night of the Arts” held Jan. 29.

Middle school art teacher Kit Christopherson said the art show was a way people can see the student work.

“We just needed to make sure we connected with the community,” Christopherson said, while scanning over the student work on display. The only other place the students have been able to show off their work is at the school district building, where, each month, the art produced at one of the schools is put on display.

The district’s middle-schoolers showed their paintings, sketches, photography and computer-generated images. In addition, several students performed on the stage and spectators enjoyed snacks.

Christopherson said the art program needed a show that was similar to the district band performance each spring, where musicians from the high school and middle school participate.

He said there were originally 200 entries for the art show, but that number was pared down to 140 pieces.

Art teacher Matt Young said that some of the art was produced by students who didn’t take art classes but created work in their spare time.

Approximately 60 percent of the entries were produced by students taking art classes during middle school while the remaining entries were produced by students not currently taking middle school art classes.

The entries in the “Night of the Arts” was judged by teachers and prizes were awarded in four categories, which were drawing, painting, computer arts and 3-D.

K.C. Pohtilla contributed to this story.

The winners

The entries in the “Night of the Arts” was judged by teachers and prizes were awarded in four categories, which were drawing, painting, computer arts and 3-D. Award winners were:

Drawing(oil pastels, drawing, illustration and marker)

First place — Austing Szupula and Mike Farrell

Second place — Ian Kolste

Third place — Annie Frosolone

Fourth place — Dakota Prouty

Painting(3-D glasses portraits, water color, oil and acrylic)

First place — Ryan King

Second place — Naomi Walker

Third place — Kai Moore

Fourth place — Hope Crandell

Computer Arts(photo, 3-D animated, product commercials)

First place — Sadie Strain

Second place — Zack Nixon

Third place — Matt Truelson

Fourth Place — Emily Skiff

3-D (mask, shoes ‘recycled art shoes’, pop can man)

First place — Kyanne Ewing

Second place — Allen Robles

Third place — Elisa Daniel

Fourth place — Ali Gordy