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:

  • Feb. 17-28 (Monday-Friday 10-5 PM, Saturday 9-1 PM)

    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

    1. An "amateur" artist can be many things -- for the purpose of this exhibition, we broadly define an amateur artist as anyone whose primary source of income is not generated by their art. 
    2. Each artist may submit up to two artworks for consideration by the jury. The artworks can be in two different mediums, but please note that each individual only has two submission opportunities -- not two submissions per medium. 
    3. If a collaborative artwork is to be submitted, all contributing artists must be listed on the submission. Collaborative artworks will still count as one of an artist's two submission opportunities. 
    4. As this is a community exhibition, the artworks submitted must be appropriate for all ages. 
    5. All artwork must be original to the submitting artist. Submitting work that is a reproduction, plagiaristic, or misrepresentative in nature is grounds for dismissal from the exhibition and may result in future restrictions for application. 
    6. Submitted work(s) must have been produced by the artist within the last three years. 
    7. All pieces (unless sculptural) must be wired for hanging. We will not hang work with sawtooth hangers.
    8. All exhibiting artwork is considered for sale unless marked "NFS". The MCAC utilizes a standard 30/70 gallery price policy (30% of the sale goes to the gallery, and 70% of the sale goes to the artist). Please price your work with this in mind. 
    9. A non-refundable application fee of $5 per artwork entered can be made through this secure form. If you need help completing the form, please email us at info@mcac.org, call us at 309-829-0011, or visit us in person at the MCAC (601 N. East St Bloomington, IL 61701). 





    Mission Statement: We encourage and promote the appreciation, study, cultivation, development, and practice of art for the benefit of all the people, cultures and communities of McLean County. 


        
            "This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council through federal funds provided by the National Endowment for the Arts"

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