It's Time for the Annual High School Art Show at Elmhurst College

Elmhurst college will celebrate young artists and public school art programs from across the Chicago area during its 15th annual High School Exhibition, beginning Friday.

The two-week exhibition, featuring artwork submitted by 10 high schools, will feature hundreds of paintings, prints, sculptures, videos and computer art, and works in other media.

Every January, the entire space of Elmhurst College’s Founders Lounge, from floor to ceiling, is hung with artwork created by talented high school students.

“This year we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the High School Art Exhibition,” said Suellen Rocca, director of exhibits at Elmhurst College. “Over the years, many thousands of talented high school students have had the opportunity to display their art work at Elmhurst College.”

Each year, more than 400 people come to campus to attend the reception for the participating artists.   

“I see proud students, their families and their high school art teachers who have come out on a cold winter’s night to see the exhibition,” Rocca said. “I feel immensely proud that Elmhurst College and the Elmhurst College Art Department have supported visual arts in education for the past 15 years with this annual exhibition, and I look forward to many years of support in the future.”

The high schools that will be represented include:

• Addison Trail, Addison
• East Leyden, Franklin Park
• West Leyden, Northlake
• Lyons Township, Western Springs and LaGrange
• Maine West, Des Plaines
• Morton East, Cicero
• Morton West, Berwyn
• Proviso West, Hillside
• Willowbrook, Villa Park
• York, Elmhurst

During the reception, students will visit the college’s art studios and learn about the art program. Certificates, ribbons and a $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to students from each high school.

The exhibition will run from Friday, Jan. 10, through Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the Founders Lounge of the Frick Center, 190 Prospect Ave. The Frick Center is open days and evenings. The artists reception will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, in the Founders Lounge.

Both the exhibition and the reception are free and open to the public.

The High School Exhibition is one of roughly a dozen shows that Elmhurst College will present this academic year in three campus venues. For more information, please contact Suellen Rocca at (630) 617-6110 or srocca@elmhurst.edu.