Suffolk has two sister cities, both of which have clearly defined connections. Suffolk County, England, is one of them. The other is Oderzo, Italy, from where Amedeo Obici emigrated before he founded Planters Peanuts and became a major figure in 20th-century Suffolk.

The Sister Cities program in Suffolk is a fine one, and one of its many projects is the Young Artists and Authors Showcase. The show opened last week, and it’s on view until this Friday. If you’ve taken the day off for Valentine’s Day or can spare your lunch hour, we strongly encourage you to go to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave., between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For this year’s showcase, the 32nd annual, young artists and authors were asked to ruminate upon the theme “One World: Out of Many, We Are One.” It’s a perfect encapsulation of what Sister Cities is all about, and we think the students came up with a lot of great art, both visual and literary, to illustrate this theme.

Students submitted a record 200 entries in categories including poetry, essay, drawing, painting, mixed media, and photography and computer-generated art. Three awards in each category were given, and best in show went to Lily Kirk of Nansemond River High School. Kirk used animals rather than humans in her watercolor-and-ink creation, and the concept apparently pleased the judges.

We think her work, and the others as well, will please you too. This show is a must-see.