The Lawrence Arts Center will present its annual Vanguard Awards for young artists at 6:15 p.m. Friday at the Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St.

The awards, meant to honor outstanding visual-arts students from the Lawrence school district, will be announced that evening in conjunction with the annual USD 497 Art Exhibition of student work, which opens with a Final Friday reception that evening at the Arts Center.

The night’s biggest honor is the Vanguard Award. Recognizing the highest overall quality, originality and skill, the award (plus a $1,200 prize per winner) will be given to the top 2D and 3D high school artists in the USD 497 show. Other awards include the Trailblazer Award ($600 prize per winner) for two students whose work demonstrates “experimentation, innovation and skill,” and the $150 Catalyst Award for the teachers of winning students.

Jurors for this year’s awards are Tressa Jones, the Lawrence Arts Center’s 2016-2017 printmaking artist-in-residence, and Cate Richards, a local artist and jeweler who currently serves as exhibitions director and a metals instructor at the Arts Center.