White County students will step into the spotlight Sunday, Feb. 26, as the Helen Arts & Heritage Center awards them for their excellence in art with an annual exhibit.

The awards presentation and reception for the White County Student Art Competition will be from 1-3:45 p.m. at 25 Chattahoochee Strasse in Helen. Program and reception times are staggered to allow for ample parking and accommodate the number of expected guests. Each school’s designated program and reception time is: 

• 1-1:45 p.m. Jack P Nix and Mossy Creek
• 2-2:45 p.m. Mount Yonah, Tesnatee Gap and White County Middle
• 3-3:45 p.m. Ninth Grade Academy and White County High

Presented by Helen Arts & Heritage Center and sponsored by the Helen Rotary Club, the competition is open to all students enrolled in the White County public school system, home school, cyber and private schools.

“We hope everyone will come out in support of our young people on Sunday and witness for yourselves the degree of talent and artist skill present in these students,” HAHC president Nancy Ackerman said. “This is an opportunity for us as a community to publicly support our young folks by recognizing their abilities and encouraging them to pursue their passion.”

Rotary President Bernie Yates and other members of the Helen Rotary will conduct the awards program. Students are presented cash awards for the top three winning entries of each category. Extra incentive gifts for students are provided by Wendy’s in Helen and Chick-fil-A and Walmart in Cleveland.

For more information, visit helenarts.org.