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Crowds see student art shows in Libertyville, Vernon Hills
District 70 arteffects art show and reception at Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville. Art from students of Butterfield, Copeland, Adler, Rockland elementary schools and Highland Middle School were in the show. | Michael Schmidt~Sun-Times Media District
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Updated: March 29, 2012 4:07PM
Hundreds of people visited the Cook Park Library in Libertyville and the Aspen Drive Library in Vernon Hills to view the artwork of students.
Approximately 670 people attended an open house at Cook Library on March 1 for the kickoff of Libertyville Elementary District 70’s first ArtEffects Art Show at the library. The night before on Feb. 29, 838 attended people an open house for the Hawthorn District 73 Art Show, which is in its second year.
The two shows feature hundreds of pieces of art from students from every grade level in the Libertyville and Vernon Hills schools. Libertyville students artwork will be on display at the Cook Park library through March 19. Vernon Hills students art will be displayed at the Aspen library through the month of March.
“It’s just a really fun thing to do,” said Jan Hastings, school services coordinator for the Cook Library District. “We’re excited to be a part of it.”
Students in the two school districts created the art, which was judged by teachers in different grades, and the top pieces of art from each school appeared in the show.
Megan Russell, art teacher at Highland Middle School in Liberyville, said about 125 pieces of student art from the District 70’s five schools were selected to appear in the art show at the Cook Park library.
Russell worked with parents from the district’s family association arts committee and the district’s other art teachers, Cindi Sartain and Alicia Sather, to get the art show started in Libertyville this year.
‘Very important’
“I felt it was very important to do a display of student artwork in the community,” she said.
Students whose artwork was chosen to appear at Cook and Aspen libraries are proud to have their art on display.
“I was very excited because this is the first time any of my drawings or art have ever been in an art show,” said Grace Lynch, 12, a seventh-grader at Highland School in Libertyville. Lynch drew a picture of two hands that appear to be giving something. Her twin brother, Max, also had his art selected for the Cook library show.
Christian Vazquez, 9, a third grader at Hawthorn’s Townline Elementary School, painted an owl which is on display at Aspen library.
“I was really excited,” he said. “It was especially nice to hear all the good comments it was getting from people (at the open house). It made me feel good that people enjoyed my art.”
Alex Ludolph, 11, a fifth grader at Townline Elementary School, painted a self portrait with intricate detail and graffiti wording in the background. Her work and another piece of art by her younger brother were selected for the exhibit at the Aspen library.
Another Hawthorn student Jayme Cronin, 10, painted watercolor postcards of two cardinals in a wilderness setting with snow falling in the background, which is also on display at Aspen.
“It’s like the first time I’ve ever been in an art show so I was really, really excited,” she said.
Elizabeth Scarborough, an art teacher for Hawthorn schools, said about 280 pieces of student art from the district’s seven schools were chosen for the art show at Aspen.
“I’m very pleased with the artwork,” she said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our students and this gives them an opportunity to showcase their talents.”
