Palo Alto teens are giving the community a glimpse into their minds at the fourth annual Youth Speaks Out art exhibition, which held its grand opening last night at the Palo Alto Art Center.

The exhibition, which runs from March 20 to April 14, is an annual gala in which local students share their unique perspectives through art mediums such as photography, painting and sculpture. According to Youth Speaks Out participant and Palo Alto High School senior Rebecca Segars, all artwork remains anonymous to encourage raw and genuine pieces.

“Youth Speaks Out is an opportunity for students to voice their feelings and their talent in a community-based setting,” Segars said. “Students should feel that they can express whatever they want to express here. There’s a lot of personal things that students may show through their artwork that they wouldn’t necessarily want their name to be under. It’s a way that they can keep their identity hidden but still have their work shown, and I think that that’s a really cool thing.”

The opening reception featured music, poetry, dance and speeches from Youth Speaks Out key leaders.