FREEPORT – Evan Tims, a senior at Freeport High School, is among the 45 high school students in the state selected for the Maine Youth Excellence in Art exhibition, to be featured at the State Capitol Complex in Augusta.

The students, chosen by their teachers for the exhibition, will have their works at the Cross Office Building, the Blaine House and the office of the Maine Arts Commission for approximately four months, from the end of October through January.

Tims, who lives in Freeport, is a student in Kimberly Medsker-Mehalic’s portfolio development class.

“When thinking of which student’s work I wanted to submit for the show,” she said, “I went over quite a few amazing works my students have created over the first few weeks of school and I found myself going back to Evan Tims’ work,” Medsker-Mehalic said.

Tims, the son of Brenda and Gerald Tims, says he’s been painting for most of his life.

“I enjoy doing natural scenes mixed with emotional, sometimes dark, elements,” he said. “I usually do paint, but the picture chosen for this exhibition is a charcoal sketch, which I also enjoy greatly.”

Tims gravitates toward other artistic pursuits, as well.

“Along with art, I love music and creative writing,” he said. “Essentially all forms of emotional expression have always been something I enjoy and do well in.”

Medsker-Mehalic said that Tims “naturally gravitates toward charcoal. His work often evolves into narratives.”

Medsker-Mehalic said she received a mailing from the Maine Arts Commission, in partnership with Ann LePage, the first lady, for the Fall 2014 exhibition.

“Selections were made on a first-come, first-served basis per Superintendent Regions,” she said. “I emailed the director as soon as I received the mailing and I was granted the last open space for Cumberland County.” Medsker-Mehalic said she could easily have chosen a “happier” and “brighter” image, but chose Tims’ work because of the honesty of his expression.

“This is my 11th year teaching art, all at Freeport High, and I think it’s extremely important to allow, and provide, students with an opportunity to express themselves visually,” she said. “Many of my students use their artwork to help them work through difficult emotions they deal with on a daily basis. My art quote of the week, posted on my whiteboard, is a statement by Dennis Oppenheim, ‘An artist works through exposed wounds.’ To me, Evan’s work clearly shows raw emotion.”

On the day Tims created his landscape, Medsker-Mehalic said, the class was drawing outside in the trees by the athletic fields. At the end of the 70-minute class, students were asked to write a reflection about their work.

“Evan wrote, ‘I really like this piece,’” Medsker-Mehalic recalled. “‘It has a very strong composition. Mostly, I found that I put my emotions into it. I was very upset this morning, and when I look at this piece, I see it somehow. I wouldn’t do anything different with this.’”

Medsker-Mehalic is teaching Tims for a third year.

“I am very proud of who he has become as an artist,” she said. “I absolutely think that Evan would have success in the field of visual arts.”

Freeport High School senior Evan Tims says that along with art, he also loves music and creative writing. The charcoal sketch by Evan Tims that will be part of an exhibit at the State Capitol Complex in Augusta.