From 5-7 p.m. Friday at the Homer Council on the Arts, a reception is for "Faces of the Future/Hands of Support" and an associated exhibition of student art. A presentation is at 5:30 p.m.

Using funding from a Native Education Grant and an art grant from the Association of Alaska School Boards, Tyonek students not only created art -- they planned an art exhibit from creation to display. Project GRAD's Campus Family Support program expanded the project to Port Graham, Nanwalek and Ninilchik. Village students made plaster casts of their faces and hands and then painted the sculptures.

"CFS saw this as a rich opportunity for each student to participate in planning and implementing not only their individual art piece, but to learn what is involved in putting on a public art exhibition," said Bonnie Pierce of Project GRAD. "Some students are learning various cultural histories through the process while others are learning about the medium of mask art."

At Project GRAD-sponsored family nights, student artists worked with families to make masks. Students also wrote artist's biographies for their works. Students will compete for Best of Show awards to recognize artists who showed commitment to the project.

The Jubilee art show also features work done by East End Road village students as well as work from Project GRAD's summer institute.

"HCOA allows students who regularly do not have the opportunity to compete and/or be involved in sports or larger community events the opportunity to participate in a Homer event," HCOA director Hope Finkelstein said in a press release.

"It also allows families from these rural villages to know their students' careers and educational opportunities are not limited to the village. Each family has the added benefit of being able to brag about their child's participation in the art world."