Spring Art Show underway

Illinois Valley Community College’s annual Spring Art Show for high school and college artists is underway, and the halls outside the Humanities and Fine Arts Division office are overflowing with sketches, photographs, illustrations and sculptures.

The display is open to the public and runs through Friday, April 12, culminating that evening with an awards reception for artists and their families at 5 p.m. in the Student Life Space. Refreshments will be served, and tours of the Art Department provided.

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 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 also is available 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.