Linda Murphy Lifestyle Editor @HNFastFood

FALL RIVER — As parents, teachers and students wove their way through a maze of artwork at B.M.C. Durfee High School, exclamations of “oh, here’s your piece,” could be heard over and over again.

For every student in Fall River’s public schools, the annual K-12 Art Expo on Thursday was their chance to show their creative talent. And there was plenty to admire among the 8,000 or so drawings, paintings, prints, mixed media and ceramic pieces.

“I think it’s amazing,” said Ashley Bertoncini of the expo as her son, Sylis Ortiz, 7, pointed out the monster he made in his kindergarten class at Alfred S. Letourneau Elementary School.

Some of the younger students’ artwork was a reminder of the snowy winter. With green construction paper as the background, Greene Elementary School first-graders created up-close portraits of snowmen wearing cozy hats as snow fluttered in the background.

Faces, in the form of Chinese theater masks, were the subject matter for a dramatically striking display of work by Edmund P. Talbot Middle School eighth-graders.

And for fifth-graders at the Carlton M. Viveiros Elementary School, the artwork centered on musical instruments – violin, cello, saxophone and others, in colorful, bold compositions.

“He was so excited to come here – he loves to show us his work,” said Leslie Montunez as her son, Jayon Ward, a first-grader at Tansey School, spotted his drawing of an animal.

A few rows away, B.M.C. Durfee High School art teachers Heather Perreira and Brenda Gaudette proudly showed the sculptures and ceramic pieces their students created over the school year.

Jacqueline Francisco, director of Fine and Performing Arts for the district, said attendees also praised the student musicians who performed during the expo.

Additionally, she said, people also told her the show gives the community the chance to see how students progress in their arts education as the K-12 work is exhibited in one place.

“This event opens our doors for the community, and I would say that it gets bigger every year,” she said of the expo, now in its third year. “It also helps develop an ‘artistic identity’ for the city and its schools. One of my goals is to support the growth of our city’s artistic identity, and the best place to begin is in our schools with our kids.”

Email Linda Murphy at lmurphy@heraldnews.com.