A FREE exhibition showcasing the artistic talents of East Ayrshire’s young people is now open to the public.

Work by art and design students from the area has been put on show at the Dick Institute in Kilmarnock.

The students’ graduate show can be viewed by members of the public at the venue’s Young People’s Gallery – a dedicated space programmed by and for young people in East Ayrshire, giving opportunities to develop and present exhibitions.

The exhibition features a range of specially selected creative work from a variety of disciplines and enables local residents to see the work of the students before they move on to the next stage of their artistic journeys.

East Ayrshire Leisure’s cultural development staff and the art and design department at Ayrshire College have worked closely with the students to develop ideas on how to present their work; offering experience in planning exhibitions within cultural venues.

The work on display is a showcase of the students’ highlights from their year of study and is an opportunity to display work to a local audience, before they apply to art schools around the country.

The gallery is open Tuesday and Wednesday between 10am and 6pm, Thursday from 1-8pm, and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 4pm, excluding public holidays.

Featuring a programme of nationally important exhibitions, permanent displays of the museum’s diverse collections and innovative work by contemporary artists, film makers and young people from the area and opened in 1901, the Dick Institute features the largest exhibition spaces in Scotland south of Glasgow with a carefully selected programme of displays.

For more information about the show, which is on display until September 24, visit eastayrshireleisure.com or telephone 01563 554300.