Ankeny, IA
- - - Ankeny High School junior Yuuki Matsuyama has crafted art that allows for a peek into her world as a
second-generation Japanese-American. Veridian Credit Union is pleased to give her and her contemporaries the
opportunity to share the view.
Matsuyama's creation and more than 40 other pieces of original artwork created by Ankeny High students are
on display at Veridian's Ankeny branch. The collection debuted Thursday, January 8, at the ArtShare Premier,
which was attended by 120 individuals.
Veridian hosted the ArtShare Premier to give student artists, their families and the community a chance to
view the newest showcase. ArtShare is an award-winning program developed by Veridian to increase the awareness
of young artists in the community.
For Matsuyama, it is a valuable chance to present the finished product of her creativity and expressiveness.
"Art allows me to share what exists in my world by creating it in this world," Matsuyama said. "It's hard to explain,
but I find it very fulfilling to keep creating. It is an honor to have been chosen for the program. I owe so much of
my progress to my teachers."
"I plan on attending college to study the Japanese language, Asian culture studies and writing, as well as courses
in illustration," she added. "I want to translate Japanese books and novels to English and English books to Japanese
so readers of both countries can enjoy each other's literature with the most authentic possible nuance."
ArtShare Premier was held in conjunction with an Ankeny Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event. The
artwork will remain on display for one year before it is replaced with a new class of student artwork. Artwork on
display includes drawings, photography, pottery and sculptures.
Veridian Credit Union, founded in 1934 in Waterloo, Iowa, is a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its
members. The credit union offers a full range of consumer financial services and employs more than 450 Iowans
throughout 23 branches, including four locations in the Des Moines metro area. For more information, visit
www.veridiancu.org or call (800) 235-3228.
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For Immediate Release
January 9, 2009
Photos Available:
Yuuki Matsuyama: Ankeny High School’s Yuuki Matsuyama showcases her art selected for Veridian Credit Union's ArtShare program, which debuted January 8 at ArtShare Premier. |
