The Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) annual Spring Art Show for high school and college artists is underway. The halls outside the Humanities and Fine Arts Division office are overflowing with sketches, photographs, illustrations, and sculptures. The art displays are open to the public through April 12, 2024, ending with an awards reception for the artists and their families at 5 PM in the Student Life Space. Refreshments will be served, as will tours of the Art Department.
The event showcases work by students from 10 area high schools and the college, said art instructor Shannon Slaight-Brown, who combined what had been separate shows into one larger gallery. Her goal is to encourage young artists and reveal the area’s abundance of talent. “Art is flourishing on campus and in the Illinois Valley, and this is a great way to show it,” Slaight-Brown said. Submissions will be judged and awarded best-in-show in the high school and college divisions.
Students also have a chance to be awarded scholarships to study at IVCC, as well as IVCC and art gear. A new $1,000 scholarship is available to a current or incoming freshman majoring in art and attending full-time, and a full-year tuition waiver is available as well to an incoming freshman.
“We also have a fun award that allows the audience to participate in choosing their favorite artwork from the entire show,” Slaight-Brown said. “This award is called the People’s Choice Award, and you can locate the golden submission box across from the Division office.”
Joining Slaight-Brown as a show judge will be painter and art instructor Josh Niles of Galesburg.
