Students from Midwest gather to share talents at Concordia

Nearly 1,500 elementary and middle school students showcased their talents at the 70th annual Gathering of the Talents festival held at Concordia on Saturday, April 5. Participants and their families traveled from 48 schools across Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and South Dakota. 

“It is amazing to see all the incredible talents that God has blessed these children with,” University Events Manager Briianne Imig said.

Youth in grades kindergarten through eighth participated in 538 events in five divisions including visual art, creative writing, drama, dance and music performance. All submissions and performances are judged and awarded ribbons—yellow, pink, blue or purple, the highest honor of the festival.

The event included an art experience workshop for the second year in a row. New to the Gathering this year was a poetry reading for participating students to present original poems. A campus scavenger hunt crossword puzzle encouraged students to explore Concordia’s campus.

“We are blessed to have so many participants come and showcase their talents to glorify God,” senior Tonya Johnson said. Johnson served as the assistant coordinator for the event for the past three years.

The Gathering of the Talents festival began in 1943. It is run each year by a handful of Concordia students who manage the five talent divisions. These students organize judges and dozens of student volunteers to assist with the event.

A complete list of purple ribbon recipients is available at www.cune.edu/gott.