2025 Emerging Artist Regional Exhibition
Congratulations to all participating Artists! Awards will be announced following the ceremony on Saturday, March 8th.
HIGH SCHOOL
Painting:
1st place: Marlee Cruzan - Odette (Tri-Valley High School)
2nd place: Ray Bridgette - Collage Portrait (Normal Community High School)
Graphics:
1st place: Ellasyn Loudenburg - Close Up (Heyworth Jr-Sr High School)
2nd place: Ashlyn Connell - Marbles (Tri-Valley High School)
Fiber/Textile:
1st place: Aislie Clinch - Gooseberry (Tri-Valley High School)
Sculpture:
1st place: Kaitlyn Golladay - Needle Felted Red Shouldered Hawk (Normal Community High School)
COLLEGE
Painting:
1st place: Charlotte Chilton - Bodied A (Illinois State University)
2nd place: Gabi Hernandez - We Have Food at Home (Illinois State University)
Graphics:
1st place: Kolin Wilkins - How Could I Leave For Work (Illinois State University)
2nd place: Alex Cox - Say It Like You Got A Mouth Full of Bourbon (Illinois State University)
Photo/new media:
1st place: Emily Pounder - Orange (Heartland Community College)
2nd place: Lily Best - Efflorescence (Illinois State University)
Sculpture:
1st place: Caroline Behary - Breakfast is Ready (Heartland Community College)
2nd place: Caitlyn Chwatek - Untitled (Illinois State University)
ADULT
Painting:
1st place: Jeremy Langston - Boat Dock at Lake Evergreen
2nd place: Carl Olson - The Loop
Graphics:
1st place: Rose Tuttle - Alternate Dimension
2nd place: Greta Boudeman - Chicago Botanical Gardens
Photo/New media:
1st. place: Laurie Bergner - Lucie and her Great-granddaughters
2nd place: Jayme Banzhoff - Algarve
Sculpture:
1st place: Jim Mosley - Futile Lament
2nd place: Krista Wolf - Flowers for Marisa
Video:
1st place: Elliot Miller - Season's Beatings
Fiber:
1st place: Cathie Haab - Brunhild and the Viking Invasion
2nd place: Kirsten Heteji - Pink Skies, Blue Eyes
The Ashley Ritter Award for Most Promising Young Artist: Kolin Wilkins - How Could I Leave For Work (Illinois State University)
The Susan Vincent Award for Best High School Art: Laura Wilkinson - Pancakes for Two (Tri-Valley High School)
Director's Choice Award: AJ Westley - The Cello Man (Illinois State University)
Best in Show: Laurie Bergner - Lucie and her Great-granddaughters (Adult)
The 98th Annual Regional Emerging Artist Exhibition will open on March 7th, 2025 and close on April 23rd, 2025.
There is an opening reception on March 7th, from 5-7 pm.
The Awards Ceremony will be on Saturday, March 8th
High School Awards at 1:00 PM
College Awards at 1:30 PM.
Adult Awards at 2:00 PM.
Featuring work by high school, university, and adult artists, this juried exhibition highlights the diverse creativity of our community. This year's exhibition was juried by Jessica Benjamin.
At the Awards Ceremony on Saturday, March 8th, 33 awards will be presented, totaling over $2,000 in cash prizes. Each year, the Best of Show Merwin Medal is awarded to the most outstanding artwork, and the Ashley C. Ritter Most Promising Art Award is given to the artist exhibiting the most future potential.
Congratulations to all participating artists!
ACCEPTED WORKS
High School
Johanna | Austin | Snowmelt |
Johanna | Austin |
Likeness of the Artist, with Embellishments |
Ray | Bridgette | Collage Portrait |
Ray | Bridgette |
Cardboard Relief |
Aislie | Clinch | Gooseberry |
Alex | Clouse | Gila Monster |
Ashlyn | Connell | Marbles |
Marlee | Cruzan |
Flowers in December |
Marlee | Cruzan | Odette |
Kaitlyn | Golladay | Elk |
Kaitlyn | Golladay |
Needle Felted Red Shouldered Hawk |
Taylor | Hartley | Engraved |
Taylor | Hartley |
Rainbow Squirrel |
Ellasyn | Loudenburg | In the Balance |
Ellasyn | Loudenburg | Close Up |
Emilse | Mohedano-Tellez | Endless |
Lauren | O'Brien |
Fruit of the Earth |
Owen | Rios | Desert Sunset |
Caitlyn | Scott | Pearl |
Caitlyn | Scott | Meadow |
Leah | Thompson | Lirio |
Laura | Wilkinson |
Pancakes for Two |
College
Delaney | Akers |
To the Moon and Back |
Rima | Bartuce | Ebb |
Lindsey | Basham |
Into the Darkroom |
Caroline | Behary |
Breakfast is Ready |
Lily | Best | Endurance |
Lily | Best | Efflorescence |
Tianna | Bond |
A Freeing Feeling |
Leah | Brecheisen | Portal |
Jacky | Buehler | Quad Squirrel |
Kayla | Burrell | Step to the Side |
Donnie | Cady | Coyote Stack |
Lauren | Carney | A Bowl of Dice |
Charlotte | Chilton | Grave Wax |
Charlotte | Chilton | Bodied A |
Piper | Christian | Microscope |
Caitlyn | Chwatek |
Untitled (11x11x11) |
Grace | Clarke | Fish Tank |
Sean | Colella | Old Man |
Alex | Cox |
Say It Like You Got a Mouth Full of Bourbon |
Kitty | Davies |
Touching & Touching |
Jenna | Davito | Memento Mori |
Lucille | Dolan | Untitled |
Connor | Donnelly |
Wandering Thoughts |
Connor | Donnelly | Midnight Dice |
Jenna | Germano |
Cover Up By NM |
Bella | Gray |
Peripheral Vision |
Marie | Grimm |
Comfortable Embracement |
Marie | Grimm |
Vibrancy Was a Myth |
Bethany | Hathaway | Alexithymia |
Gabi | Hernandez |
We Have Food at Home |
Camryn | Houk | Vibrancy |
Regan | Iorfida |
Even Though We May Look Different |
Tori | Kafer | 89 Seconds |
Darci | Kaufmann | The Drain |
Rocky | Krapf | Jelly |
Lilia | Labertew | Watching |
Elyse | Larsen | Fox in the Snow |
Erin | Leonard | Untitled |
Erin | Leonard |
I Find Comfort in Your Chaos |
Prosper | Luvunzu | Man's Eye View |
Ena | Maloy | Across/Into |
Jason | McFarland | sculpture |
Jack | Miller |
The Phantom of the Opera |
Shreya | Mokashi | Sri Ganesh |
Emma | Munson | The Beholder |
Tess | Murphy | Christening |
Makenna | O'Rourke |
My Childhood Lives Here |
Makenna | O'Rourke |
A Cat Versus the Cosmos |
Averi | Peterson | Staring Contest |
Emily | Pounder | The Flusher |
Emily | Pounder | Orange |
Jade | Reymond | C'est Trop Tard |
Donna-Rose | Reyna | Fragility of Time |
Nora | Riley | Call Me |
Zo | Russel | I am: Hair |
Grace | Sindelar | Where I Sleep |
Atlas | Sturrock |
How to Move When the Rain Comes |
Ava | Thoennes | Fish-Eyed Stare |
Ava | Thoennes |
(Un)lucky Rabbit's Foot |
Vivian | Vazquez | Insomnia |
Lucas | Walker |
A Glow Apparent |
AJ | Westley | The Cello Man |
Jayden | White | The Room |
Kolin | Wilkins |
How Could I Leave for Work |
Robynn | Willis | July 24th |
Jasper | Woith | Untitled |
Emma | Zozzaro | Eternal Dusk |
Adult
Elizabeth | A Cowie | Preserve, Protect, Defend |
Roger | Alexander | Hammer |
Becky | Altic | The Cliffs of Moher |
Becky | Altic | The Eagle's Nest |
Kristine | Altine | Tower of Pisa |
Jyoti | Anant | The Mirror Within |
Kendra | Baca | The End |
Cindy | Baker | On The Beach |
Jayme | Banzhoff | Algarve |
Laurie | Bergner | Lucie and her Great-Granddaughters |
Laurie | Bergner | Working in Tea Field |
Greta | Boudeman | Chicago Botanical Gardens |
Li | Boyer | Journey |
Dave | Buxton | Lake Michigan Sunset |
Kevin | Callis | The Strangler |
Emily | Cellini Henson | West Quoddy |
Shelly | Challans | Prinsengracht |
Theresa | Chambers | Luke 12:7 |
Jordan | Dodd | Take Care |
Sarah | Eckstine | With Love |
Allyson | Frink | Koi |
Priti | Gandhi | Floating Lotus |
Sara | Gentry | Koi |
Cathie | Haab | Painting Hidden Creek |
Cathie | Haab | Brunhild and the Viking Invasion |
Cailin | Hall | Matryoshka, Blue |
Alexis | Henson | Winter Lights |
Kirsten | Heteji | Pink Skies, Blue Eyes |
Kirsten | Heteji | Holding it Together |
Susan | Holifield | Spring is Here |
Susan | Holifield | Tea and Cookies |
William | Irelan | Light through the Twigs |
Mia | Jazo-Harris | Marshmallow Farm Portal (Mytvatn, Iceland) |
Mardell | Klasen | Bins in a Row |
Jeremy | Langston | Boat Dock at Lake Evergreen |
Lori | Laughlin | Maasai Warrior |
April | Luo | Drawing |
Ramona | Manuel | A Quiet Place |
Lydia | McNiff | Surgical Symphony |
Brenda | Milcik | Moraine View |
Darlene | Miller | The 3 R's |
Elliot | Miller | Season's Beatings |
Rusha | Mitra Sarkar | Citrus and Steam |
Vinay | Mokashi | Oops! My Fish! |
Jim | Mosley | Futile Lament |
Carl | Olson | The Loop |
Janet | Puntoni | Peddles in Blue |
Jane | Reed Wilson | The Other Room |
William | Rogalski | Utah |
Greg | Roling | Malcesine, Lake Garda, Italy |
Meghan | Roller | Alexa |
Meghan | Roller | Hunter and Laine |
Stew | Salowitz | A Quiet Pond |
Karen | Schulthes | Escape |
Tricia | Shaw | Illinois Countryside |
Jodie | Slothower | Unraveling Code |
Kristine | Stayton | KY Stone Distillery |
Rose | Tuttle | Alternate Dimension |
Krista | Wolf | Flowers for Marisa |
Barb | Woods | Coco |
Accepted Art Drop-Off Dates:
Note: All pieces must be wired for hanging or otherwise installation-ready. If you are unsure what this means or would like to confirm that your work is installation ready, call MCAC at 309-829-0011 or email Amy at amy@mcac.org. We will not accept work that is not installation-ready.
Accepted Art Pick-Up Dates: April 24th - May 3rd, during MCAC's regular business hours.
*Any items not picked up within 30 days from the closing of the show will be considered property of the McLean County Arts Center.
Guidelines for Application