GARDINER -- Gardiner Area High School senior D.J. Treptow takes pride in the "bluish black bear" he sculpted in an art class.

"It's quite a fabulous piece of work, if I must say so myself," said Treptow, 18, displaying the sculpted bear he calls "Steve."

On Friday, local residents and others will have the chance to judge that for themselves. Treptow's black bear and hundreds of other projects created in School Administrative District 11 art classes will be on display in the schools' Arts Extravaganza.

Projects by students in kindergarten through 12th grade from Gardiner, Pittston, Randolph and West Gardiner will liven up the high school's cafeteria and a few hallways. Portraits, sculptures, drawings, photography and other types of art will be among the mix of projects.

"Making work is only half the process," high school art teacher Cheryl Herr-Rains said. "Having people see the work and respond is an important other half of the process."

Friday's extravaganza, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., is geared toward that other half, Herr-Rains said.

"It's so important for a visual arts student to have a chance to have their art displayed," she said.

The first extravaganza took place seven years ago, Herr-Rains estimated.

When she began teaching at Gardiner Area High School, Herr-Rains learned students had no chance to show off their art in a large show, so she decided to lobby the district's other art teachers -- who were receptive to the idea -- to begin the student show.

Shalimar Poulin, also a Gardiner Area High School art teacher, said the prospect of exhibiting at the extravaganza helps motivate students to pursue further art projects.

Works from approximately half of the high school's 750 students will be on display, she said.

"We try to include the best of the best. But every now and then, there's a kid who really needs that push and may not have the most dynamite piece of work, but it's good, and we want to celebrate that," Poulin said.

After Friday's extravaganza, Poulin said, the art teachers will choose a few student works and submit them for display at exhibits in Augusta, Hallowell, Portland and elsewhere.

"It'll make me very proud because I've put in a lot of hard work to make this bear," Treptow said of seeing his project on display.

Gardiner Area High School junior Trisha Cobb, 17, said a collection of pictures she shot of her friend acting as a superhero will be on display with other photography.

"I just like looking through the camera and expressing myself," she said.

Freshman Chris Colby, 16, on Tuesday was putting the final touches on a portrait he will enter into Friday's show.

"Mostly, it's imagination," he said of the skills needed for portraiture. "To go from there, it's to know your shading, to know your points of your face."

Colby, who plans to study art in college, said he would welcome those on Friday who admire his art.

"It feels pretty sweet," he said. "I'm used to it, but it still feels good that people are going to enjoy what I do."

Matthew Stone -- 623-3811, Ext. 435

mstone@centralmaine.com