It’s hard figuring out what you want to be when you grow up. Probably because there are so many things to be. But even mired in our own uncertainty, navigating the unending road of “growing up,” we still love to ask the small(er), young(er) humans around us: “What do you want to be?”

You may want to bring a pen and a pad of paper with you to the ArtWorks Center this Friday, as there will be plenty of opportunity to trade notes during our first ever Youth Gallery Opening.

The show has been a long time coming; Krystal Lennie brought the idea with her four years ago when she made the professional move from Albert Lea to Austin and began teaching art at the elementary schools here.

“I thought it would be nice to get this started again, especially with the nice gallery space we have at the ArtWorks Center,” she said.

But it wasn’t until last spring that Lennie approached her colleagues about the idea. It quickly evolved into the upcoming gallery opening, which will run from 5 to 7 p.m. on the second floor of 300 North Main Street. All four public elementary schools, as well as I.J. Holton Intermediate and Ellis Middle schools, will participate in the show.

“The kids were pretty excited when I told them that I was keeping their work for an art show at the [Center],” Lennie said, noting that the opening this Friday will be many of the elementary students’ first visit to the ArtWorks Center.

While they don’t know what to expect, Lennie has no doubt they’ll love seeing their work hanging in such a public space.

“They get excited enough when they see their work hanging in the hallways at school,” she said, “so this will be even more special.”

When I asked her how she thought the show would affect the way her students think about art, she replied, “I think it will help them take pride in their work.” While elementary kids are typically pretty proud of their creations anyway, Lennie added, the increased exposure may make them feel more like a professional artist.

Regardless of whether these kids pursue a career in the arts (or any creative field, for that matter), the gallery opening is sure to do just that. Grownups — maybe a more accurate term would be “growing-ups” — and kids alike are welcome to visit between 5 and 7 p.m. this Friday, enjoy live music by Jesse Smith, and (perhaps most importantly) find out what the artists want to be when they grow up, even if “growing up” is something we’re never truly finished with.