Dozens of high school students from Abbotsford and its surrounding communities have put huge pieces of their inner selves on display for all to see as part of the newest exhibit at The Reach Gallery Museum.

Running through all of April and May, this art exhibit challenged the young artists to create works that would incorporate the theme of personal identity, explained The Reach curator Andrea Orlosky.

"Students were asked to respond to the theme of personal identity and encouraged to interpret the theme broadly, to include representations of self, family, ancestors, personal interests, and/or cultural practices," Orlosky said.

More than 70 students participated in this project, which was organized in partnership with the Abbotsford School District, with the students belonging to 10 secondary schools across Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, and 91Ô­´´.

The specific list of participating schools includes:

• Abbotsford Christian School

• A.S.I.A. Sumas Mountain

• Abbotsford Senior Secondary

• Abbotsford Traditional

• GW Graham Secondary School

• Rick Hansen Secondary

• Mission Senior Secondary

• St. John Brebeuf Regional Secondary

• Walnut Grove Secondary

• WJ Mouat Secondary

Alongside this exhibit is another student-made collection of work in the Grotto Gallery, which includes hundreds of pieces created by primary and secondary students in the Fraser Valley.

"This exhibition promotes positive personal and cultural identity, encouraging students to grow in their awareness of themselves," Orlosky said.

More than 250 digital projects can be seen using the interactive kiosk, while visitors can also admire the mural created by the youth who attended The Reach's Spring Break Art Camp.

The following schools had students participate in the artwork on display in the Grotto Gallery:

• King Traditional Elementary School

• Harry Sayers Elementary School

• Ross Elementary School

• William A. Fraser Middle School

• Chief Dan George Middle School

• Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School

• Abbotsford Senior Secondary School

• Abbotsford Traditional School

To celebrate the start of the Fraser Valley Secondary Art Contest exhibition, The Reach hosted an opening reception, which included awards for a variety of categories.

The winning high school artists were:

• Lillia Hildebrand, "Basilique Cathedrale Saint-Denis" (Technical 2-D Award)

• Jocelyn Vitug, "Before the Bloom" (Technical 3-D Award)

• Avery Kelly, "The Time Will Pass Anyway" (Best Visual Storytelling Award)

• Xauni de Figueiroa, "Bitter Sweet" (Best Connection to Concept Award)

• Sydney Boulter, "Leah" (People's Choice Award)

The exhibit is available to view until May 31, with The Reach open from Tuesday to Saturday each week. More information is available at .