Teen displays artwork at Thunder Bay Arts Gallery | News, Sports, Jobs

Her artwork includes a variety of mediums, including colorful paintings of birds on round pieces of wood, and more.

“Right now, I do acrylic on canvas or wood slices, stuff like that,” Pokorzynski said at the gallery last week.

She said painting on wood appealed to her because she thought it was different and fun.

“I just thought it would be interesting to look at,” Pokorzynski said.

Courtesy Photo
Ceri Pokorzynski stands with her painting that won the Alpena Community College President’s Award last spring and is now displayed at the ACC Fine Arts Building.

She enjoys painting birds the most because there are so many colors and types to choose from.

“Birds are my favorite, definitely,” she said. “I like hummingbirds. Those are fun to paint. And I like woodpeckers. A lot of colors. I like that. It’s interesting.”

She said she’s always been creative throughout her childhood.

“I’ve kind of always just painted on things, like on the walls and on my homework,” she said with a laugh. “I just started really getting into it in middle school. I was like, ‘I kind of like this, and I want to keep doing it.’ Now I kind of want to make a job out of it.”

Pokorzynski was homeschooled and graduated in 2024. She did early college last year for her senior year at Alpena Community College, where she won the President’s Award for a painting that hung in the president’s office for a year and is now on display at the ACC Fine Arts Building.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Ceri Pokorzynski stands next to her artwork on display and for sale at Thunder Bay Arts Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St. in downtown Alpena. At 18, she is the youngest artist to be a member of the gallery. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

“I did art classes at ACC,” Pokorzynski said.

In addition to painting, she has done sculptures, including a very detailed bust at ACC of a scuba diving helmet.

Pokorzynski said creating art is relaxing for her.

“At first, there’s nothing there, and then, when you’re done, it’s like, ‘I made that,’” she said. “And then other people are like, ‘Wow! That’s cool.’”

She said she has received a lot of support and encouragement from her friends, family, and instructors.

Courtesy Photo Ceri Pokorzynski works on a colorful painting of a bird on a piece of round wood at her home in Alpena.

“It’s nice having encouraging people, like my parents and my boyfriend,” she said. “They’re like, ‘We’re so proud of you!’ That helps keep me motivated.”

To view Pokorzynski’s artwork at Thunder Bay Arts Gallery, visit 127 W. Chisholm St. in downtown Alpena. Summer hours for the gallery are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Reach News Community Editor Darby Hinkley at 989-358-5691 or dhinkley@TheAlpenaNews.com.

Courtesy Photo Ceri Pokorzynski holds a painting she made of a bluebird on a piece of round wood.

Courtesy Photo Ceri Pokorzynski works on a sculpture at the Alpena Community College Fine Arts Building.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Ceri Pokorzynski’s artwork is on display and for sale at Thunder Bay Arts Gallery, 127 W. Chisholm St. in downtown Alpena. At 18, she is the youngest artist to be a member of the gallery. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.