Exhibit showcases Danville students' artwork

Dec. 23—DANVILLE — To encourage the next generation of local artists, the Danville Art League has collaborated with three District 118 schools to offer a student art exhibit for the community to enjoy.

The exhibit, which showcases art created by South View Upper Elementary, North Ridge Middle School and Danville High School students as well as Danville Art League students, is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays through Jan.6, at the Danville Art League, 320 N. Franklin St.

Carol Garver, vice president of the art league and who is in charge of exhibits and classes, said this is the second time the Danville Art League has offered an exhibit of District 118 and art league students' artwork.

"We had an exhibit of student art last year, and it was well attended," she said. "This is our second year of doing this exhibit, and this years' exhibit is much larger."

Visitors to the exhibit can view dozens of drawings, paintings, mixed media, digital print, sculpture and papier-mâché pieces. First-, second- and third-place ribbons were awarded by school in the various art categories following an open house earlier this month.

Zach Pollock, a DHS junior, discovered he had won a first place ribbon for his mixed media artwork titled "The Author."

Zach said he had made the artwork at home and only entered it in the exhibit because DHS art teacher Michaela Gomez had encouraged him.

"I thought I was just going to hang it up in my room," he said. "I brought it to school to show the art teacher, and she said I should definitely enter it in an art show."

The artwork features pieces of torn paper from his sketch pad that he tea stained to look old. Each piece of paper features a pencil drawing including a mask representing The Phantom of the Opera, a torso statue representing Greek mythology, a butterfly, and antiquities such as a clock with Roman numerals and a goblet and wine bottle.

"It's my way of explaining things," Zach said. "I'm into The Phantom of the Opera and Greek mythology."

In the center of the artwork is a three-dimensional, realistic-looking heart that Zach crafted from clay and painted.

"The 3D heart is to show that's everything I love," he said.

Zach said the drawing of the clock also is symbolic.

"It represents how time goes by and you like things, but then you stop and start losing interest in things," he said. "But I haven't stopped liking art.

"I tend to draw subjects related to music," he said, adding, "I think the hardest thing to draw is animals and the second hardest is people."

Butterflies, however, are the exception. Earlier in the spring, Zach entered a colored pencil drawing of a butterfly in a University of Illinois art exhibit that was open to students at several area high schools.

"I do want to do art as a career," Zach said. "I feel like selling art would be hard, so I would like to teach art or be an interior designer."

Danville Art League member Eileen Dunavan, who teaches art to youngsters and teens at the art league, said she was impressed with the level of talent on display at this year's exhibit.

"These teens are wonderful. They're so talented," she said. "These kids are so advanced."

Garver said she is pleased the Danville Art League is able to continue to encourage young artists through student art exhibits and student scholarships for Danville Art League classes paid for by art league members.

"We are all volunteers, but we encourage artists any way we can," she said "This exhibit is an avenue to acknowledge and celebrate student artwork."

For years, the art league's Town and Country Amateur Art Show had showcased art created by Danville and Vermilion County students as well as art league members. COVID prompted the art league to pause the show after the 2019 exhibit, but the show has not resumed.

"All the county art students have a big exhibit in June that rotates at the different schools, but Danville isn't included," Garver said.

The Danville Art League and District 118 art teachers worked together to provide this year's showcase for Danville students' artwork.

"The teachers did the exhibit and put it up, and we provided the refreshments and the venue," she said. "It was quite difficult judging."

Garver praised the public for continuing to support the Danville Art League which has been a part of the community for 85 years.

"The public has supported the art league in various ways over the years," she said. "We wouldn't be able to keep the art league open without the public's support."

South View Upper Elementary

Mixed Media

First Place:

Hoang Le, fifth grade

Alonah Turnstall, sixth grade

Second Place:

Bruce Mendez Serna, fifth grade

Treshaun Render, fifth grade

Third Place:

Skyleigh Thomas, fifth grade

David Lucas, fifth grade

Digital Print

First Place:

Mila King, sixth grade

Second Place:

Jason Lamb, sixth grade

Third Place:

Amy Smith, sixth grade

Papier-Mache/Digital Design

First Place:

Hadley Borst, sixth grade, papier-mache

Second Place:

Temya Faulkner, sixth grade, papier-mache

Third Place:

Jonalle Ramshaw, sixth grade, digital design

North Ridge Middle School

First Place:

Heidy Lopez-Angel, seventh grade

Hannah Morris, seventh grade

Second Place:

Gianna Brown, seventh grade

Ava Foster, eighth grade

Third Place:

Kahmelah Anderson, eighth grade

Aaliyah O'Donnell, eighth grade

Danville High School

Drawing

First Place:

Lizzie Skovran

Second Place:

Alexia Moulton

Heather McBee

Third Place:

Aiden Covington

Sculpture

First Place:

Maia Roberson

Second Place:

Aaron Williford

Third Place:

Keira Thompson

Various Categories

First Place:

Zach Pollock (mixed media)

Second Place:

Alexia Moulton (drawing)

Third Place:

Maliyah Washington (painting)

Danville Art League Students

First Place:

Addi Kruse

Second Place:

Kylie Gaskill