Photo by Samantha Davis Students participate in art activities at the 32nd annual SWWC Conference for Young Artists Wednesday morning at Southwest Minnesota State University. The event welcomed in over 700 area students and 18 school districts.

MARSHALL — Over 700 area students from 18 surrounding school districts came together for a day of creative fun at the 32nd annual Southwest West Central Service Cooperative (SWWC) Conference for Young Artists on Wednesday at Southwest Minnesota State University.

Students spent the day, starting with a pair of keynote speaker presentations, attending various workshops that explored areas of art and creative expression, encouraging imagination.

The event welcomed 731 students and 53 families, with 25 presenters holding different workshops.

Sheku Bannister and Oak Kelsey were the two speakers, starting the students’ day off in the conference center with motivational speeches and interactive activities.

“Let me say this clearly. You don’t need to be like anybody else to be valuable. You are already enough,” Bannister said. “You don’t need to dress a certain way, follow every trend, or hide your true self to be accepted. You’re already enough — your skin, your voice, your personality, your talent, your story. That is your superpower.”

Bannister, also known as BIGG Shake, is a recording artist, motivational speaker and youth mentor who spends time inspiring younger kids through music and movement.

“I’m an artist, a mentor and a community builder. My roots stretch from Sierra Leone, West Africa, to East Palo Alto, California. Now I’m planted right here,” Bannister said. “No matter where I go, I never forget where I come from. Your identity, who you are, isn’t about where you live … We were born to rise.”

Following the two presentations, students spread across the SMSU campus, groups mixed with different schools to meet new peers. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade attended the event.

Of the 25 workshop sessions, students engaged in activities like refrigerator art creating magnets, quilting, dance showdowns, print making, clay art, watercolor painting, pottery, recycled art, making music and more.

“Every hallway, every classroom, every team, every stage you step on, it’s your chance to be the light. The light that helps somebody else rise, too,” Bannister said. “Starting today, choose one way to lift somebody up. Say a kind word, help a classmate or teacher, stand up for someone being left out. That’s how culture shifts. One act of purpose at a time.”

“You can’t walk in purpose wearing someone else’s shoes. You got to walk in your truth,” Bannister added. “Today, own your name, own your story, own your lane. Because, purpose only fits when it’s tailored for you.”

Kelsey, a two-dimensional artist and musician from Marshall, did an interactive activity with the students during his presentation with having them collectively shout out various onomatopoeia words, and had the class make a rhythm using those words to show how they came together.

Kelsey also enjoys photography, filmmaking and creating music.

“Energy is everything … You see like a brand new car, that’s got an energy, or a car that has four flat tires, that has a different energy,” Kelsey said. “Lines have energy, like a jagged line that’s got some crazy energy, or maybe a more rounded line is maybe more relaxed, or a straight line could be kind of a serious angle. Colors have energy … It’s nice if you have elements as an artist, and then you can play around with how they work with each other.

There was also a book fair held throughout the entirety of the event.

As students filed in throughout the morning to begin the day, smiles and laughs were exchanged upon taking their seats. Excitement and eagerness filled the hallways as they made their way to the classes.

“When I was a kid, I went to museums and looked at pictures and paintings, and I always thought, ‘When I’m older, I want to be an artist,'” Kelsey said. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was already an artist then, and it’s a pretty powerful thing to say that you’re an artist.”

Several area elementary and middle schools were in attendance, like Murray County Central, Wabasso, Dawson-Boyd, Yellow Medicine East, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, Milroy, Lynd, Canby and more.

SWWC will next host the Conference for Young Writers on Jan. 6, which will bring authors and students together to explore different forms of writing and storytelling for students in grades third through eighth.