“Child prodigy” is a lofty label most often reserved for acknowledged artistic geniuses like Mozart, Picasso, and Stevie Wonder.
Georgia has its own prodigy, though: 16-year-old Alexandra Huynh. Her literary work and original collages from her book From Tears to the Sea will be on display through June at the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art (STMA) in conjunction with the museum’s “Touch Grass” exhibit.
Alexandra grew up in Atlanta and attends the Paideia School. She has won several awards for her poetry and artwork, including the River of Words National Grand Prize when she was in fourth grade. At only 13 years old, Alexandra wrote and illustrated the children’s poetry book From Tears to the Sea, which was published in both English and Chinese and won a Gold Medal from the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.
Her artwork was also selected for the 2022 Callanwolde Juried Exhibition, which showcased Atlanta’s emerging artists. She was the only student chosen among other adult artists. At 16, she was invited to her first solo art exhibition and has been featured in well-known galleries and art museums.
In January, Alex learned she would go on to compete at the national level in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition for creative teens.
Alexandra’s favorite art mediums are pastel, acrylic, and collage. She credits her parents, teachers, and mentors with her art. In addition to art and poetry, Alex likes singing, running, and growing plants.
The “Touch Grass” exhibition at STMA was developed in collaboration with the Georgia Writers Museum as an environmentally focused exhibition of humankind’s place in the natural world. The title is a play on the internet phrase “touch grass,” suggesting to someone they have been online too much and have become disconnected from the real world.
Studies show that experiencing art in person is as impactful as experiencing nature in person. Viewing art and nature on TV or computer screens is not enough—people need to “touch the grass” to truly connect.
Each of the invited artists in this exhibition, including Alexandra and Steffen Thomas, has demonstrated deep connections to the environment. By examining how these artists used different media to express that connection, STMA hopes to spark curiosity, wonder, and a sense of custodianship about the natural world in students and adults alike as they experience this unique exhibition.
STMA is located at 4200 Bethany Rd. in rural Buckhead. It is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.