Juried High School Student Art Exhibition
Kishwaukee College will host a Juried High School Student Art Exhibition open to district high school students. This event gives regional artists an opportunity to build their exhibition résumés by displaying their original artwork in a professional gallery setting, earn prizes, and learn more about pursuing a college education in art.
Each local high school instructor may submit images of up to 25 works of student art. Visual artwork submitted must be categorized by media. The exhibition will be juried by Kishwaukee College art faculty.
Entry Submission Process
If submitting entries on behalf of a local high school, please fill out the submission summary form.
Below are the submission requirements for all visual art entries. Please review carefully to ensure your work is properly prepared and eligible for inclusion in the exhibition.
2D Artwork Requirements
- All 2D artwork must be ready to hang.
- Some schools prefer to wire the mats.
- Others use strong monofilament (fishing line) securely attached to the back of the mat.
- Others use weight-appropriate Command Strips (or similar Velcro-style strips) attached to the back.
- Works on paper must be matted and/or framed.
- Works on canvas must be stretched or include hanging grommets.
- All 2D artwork must have hanging hardware attached to the back of the mat or frame. The piece may be matted or framed—your choice—but it must arrive fully prepared to hang.
- Matted 2D artwork can be made ready to hang in several ways:
- Framed 2D artwork must be wired due to weight.
3D Artwork Requirements
- All 3D artwork must be finished and ready for display.
- Include special display instructions if needed.
Labeling Requirements
- Attach two copies of the Visual Art Submission Form to the backside of each 2D artwork and to the bottom of each 3D piece.
Important Dates
- Submission Deadline: Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, by 3:30 pm
- Artwork Delivery Dates: Friday, Feb. 7 and Monday, Feb. 10 — (Please schedule a specific date and time with Kailey Bednarek by contacting kbednarek@kish.edu or 815-825-9828)
- Closing Reception: 5:30-6:30 pm on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2025, in the Art Gallery.
- Artwork Pick-Up Post-Show: Friday, Feb. 26, 2026 (after closing reception) to Monday, March 1, 2026
For more information, contact Jud Curry, Dean, Office of Instruction, at 815-825-9532 or jcurry2@kish.edu or Kailey Bednarek, Office of Instruction-Administrative Specialist I, at 815-825-9828 or kbednarek@kish.edu.
For more information on Art or Writing at Kishwaukee College, visit:
Past Contests
Best in Show
- Now You See Me by Courtney Richied, Sycamore HS
Sculpture
- 1st Place – Metal Bars and Hearts in Jars by Macklynn Rager, Oregon HS
- 2nd Place – Feminine Aneurysm by Audrey Emmens, Hiawatha HS
- 3rd Place – Impulsive by Sienna Seebach, Rochelle HS
- Honorable Mention – Leaning Tower of Tea-sa by Aisling Emmens, Hiawatha HS
- Honorable Mention – Binding my Time by Sophia Oltman, Oregon HS
- Honorable Mention – The Most Beautiful Man to Ever be Mistaken to Be Alive by Kathryn Groves, Rochelle HS
- Honorable Mention – Cardboard Lego by Chris Welter, Rochelle HS
Painting
- 1st Place – Curiosity by Issy Smith, DeKalb HS
- 2nd Place – Scars of Life by Christina Blanchard, DeKalb HS
- 3rd Place – Insomnia by Marcus Montgomery, DeKalb HS
- Honorable Mention – A Unique Adjustment to Life by Merit Namaste-Rose, Oregon HS
- Honorable Mention – Echoes of the Fruit by Edona Ajdini, Sycamore HS
- Honorable Mention – Vanitas Fictus by Issy Smith, DeKalb HS
Photography/Digital
- 1st Place – Untitled by Gialan Zuniga, DeKalb HS
- 2nd Place – Forgotten memories by Everyiel Smith, Rochelle HS
- 3rd Place – Untitled by Daisy Dominguez, DeKalb HS
Mixed Media
- 1st Place – Torn by Selfworth by Teagan Auld, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place – Heart to Brain and Brain to Heart by Brenda Cuautle, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place – Blues by Grace Tremble, Oregon HS
Color Drawing
- 1st Place – Memory Lane by Denia Rincón, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place – Resistance by Hannah Hart, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place – Sweetened Death by Litzy Agaton, DeKalb HS
- Honorable Mention – Sweet Tooth by Lilly Velez, DeKalb HS
- Honorable Mention – Collective Chaos by Hope Thomas, Sycamore HS
Black & White Drawing
- 1st Place – Statically Shocked by Kyrie Cragin, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place – The Protector by Samantha Minchala, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place – Picture of me by Gabriele Hoyle, Oregon HS
Ceramics
- 1st Place – Waterfall by Alexi Rodriguez, DeKalb HS
- 2nd Place – Weeping Lilly by Mya Livious, DeKalb HS
- 3rd Place – Imprint of the Ancients by Yana Bartkiv, Rochelle HS
VISUAL ARTS BEST IN SHOW
- The Skin Within by Mya King, Sycamore HS
BLACK & WHITE DRAWING
- 1st Place — Timeless by Ellie Ferguson, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Brooke Shields by Heidi G., DeKalb HS
- 3rd Place — Cherry Street Door by Kasey Jones, Rochelle HS
COLOR DRAWING
- 1st Place — Alarm Clock by Maia Clapp-Duhau, DeKalb HS
- 2nd Place — DENIA TIME! by Denia Rincon, Rochelle HS
- 3rd Place — Chaos by Jazz Dwyer, Sycamore HS
PAINTING
- 1st Place — Koi Fish "Left" by Alexia Alderson, Indian Creek HS; Koi Fish "Center" by Emma Murphy, Indian Creek HS; Koi Fish "Right" by Evyelyse Wright-Rivera, Indian Creek HS
- 2nd Place — Beauty by Benji Clayton, Indian Creek HS; Pain by Benji Clayton, Indian Creek HS
- 3rd Place — Stand-Off by Kit Horn, Sycamore HS
SCULPTURE/CERAMICS
- 1st Place — Petals to Porcelain by Taylor Wesley, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Wired Jellyfish by Wyatt Garrelts, Rochelle HS
- 3rd Place — Arianna's House by Arianna Moser, Hiawatha HS
PHOTOGRAPHY
- 1st Place — Curiosity Kills by Sawyer Stockton, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place — Almost Invisible by Ashli Cacique, Rochelle HS
- 3rd Place — Inner Monologue by Daniel DeLaTorre, Rochelle HS
MIXED MEDIA
- 1st Place — Nothing's Perfect by Derek Bailey, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Anguish by Eleanor Klacik, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place — Me by Maia Clapp-Duhau, DeKalb HS
Printmaking & Digital
- 1st Place — Midnight Enchanted Pond by Teagan Auld, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place — My Morning Routine by Rocio Cuautle, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place — Coexistence by Noe Valdez, Rochelle HS
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Self-Portrait by Lyncee Duong, DeKalb HS
- Redwoods by Kennedy Underwood, Rochelle HS
- The Flourescent Floor by Philip Winters, Rochelle HS
- Hammerhead Shark by Alexia Burger, Hiawatha HS
Awards (Visual Arts)
VISUAL ARTS BEST IN SHOW
- Face of the Photographer by Mia Klein, Sycamore HS
BLACK & WHITE DRAWING
- 1st Place — Together by Kennedy Underwood, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place — Schnoz by Maia Clapp-Duhau, DeKalb HS
- 3rd Place — Feel Good by Grace Mills, Sycamore HS
COLOR DRAWING
- 1st Place — He Doesn’t blink (or He’ll Miss it!) by Kyle Kness, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Lay Here by Marlie Hampton, Hiawatha HS
- 3rd Place — Fishy by Brianna Chamoun, Sycamore HS
PAINTING
- 1st Place — The Art Teacher by Mari Kaczka, DeKalb HS
- 2nd Place — The Weeping Willow by Hallie Mantzke, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place — Yearning to be Whole by Chance Kalin, DeKalb HS
SCULPTURE/CERAMICS
- 1st Place — June Bug Named Mallon by Hannah Sharp, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Essence of Life and Decomposition by Addison McGlaughlin, Hiawatha HS
- 3rd Place — I see you by Melanie Garcia, Rochelle HS
PHOTOGRAPHY/DIGITAL MEDIA
- 1st Place — Lights On by B. Henning, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place — New Magic Wand by Dylan Benge, Rochelle HS
- 3rd Place — Remake of Color Void by Mikaela Kluxen, DeKalb HS
MIXED MEDIA
- 1st Place — Admiration by Alayna Benton, Oregon HS
- 2nd Place — A Wave of Emotions by Ocean Wilkerson, DeKalb HS
- 3rd Place — Silent Screaming by Indigo Marsden, Rochelle HS
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Artist’s Block by Katelynne Babos, Sycamore HS
- Satisfied? by Katelynne Babos, Sycamore HS
- Shockingly High Prices! by Alivia Henkel, Rochelle HS
- Feeling Purple by C. Hill, Rochelle HS
- Phantom Findings by Kit Horn, Sycamore HS
- Bloom by Izebelle Liboy, DeKalb HS
- Hallucinations by Samaria Williams, DeKalb HS
Awards (Creative Writing
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- “Zorange” by Liliana Jennings, Sycamore HS
- “The Little Things” by Marlie Colness, Sycamore HS
Awards (Creative Writing)
Prose
- 1st place — "The Desolation of Icarus" by Andrew Miller, Indian Creek HS
- 2nd Place — "Her Brotherhood" by Irish McCoy, Sycamore HS
Poetry
- 1st Place — "Oh How We Spin" by Darion Massey, DeKalb HS
- 2nd Place — "No One Cared Before the Flowers" by Arianna Harrison, Sycamore HS
Awards (Visual Arts)
Visual Arts Best in Show
- Displayed Suffocation by Cora Early, Sycamore HS
Black and White Drawing
- 1st Place — 80’s Alternative by Vivianne Potts, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Bentley by Brianna Chamoun, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place — “Shoe” by Dylan Benge, Rochelle HS
Color Drawing
- 1st Place — 1st Period Pre-Calc by Marlen Hueramo, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place — Life Ablaze by Mira Ryu, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place — Hands of Nature by Rachel Piscopo, Hiawatha HS
- Honorable Mention — Mr. Creatable by Uriel Valle, Rochelle HS
Painting
- 1st Place — Tangled in Sinking Time by Chrissie Fischer, Hiawatha HS
- 2nd Place — On the Road by Marlen Hueramo, Rochelle HS
- 3rd Place — Wonder Boy by Eric Briseno, Rochelle HS
- Honorable Mention — Goo-Man by Abby Johns, Sycamore HS
Sculpture/Ceramics
- 1st Place — Modern History by Molly Sapita, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Medusa by Arianna Moser, Hiawatha HS
- 3rd Place — Poker Face by Loryn Heil, Sycamore HS
- Honorable Mention — Staying Safe by Lucy Bunger, Rochelle HS
Photography/Digital Media
- 1st Place — Bow of Fruit by Alaina Leal, Rochelle HS
- 2nd Place — Fire Hazard by Kylie Davis, Rochelle HS
- 3rd Place — Clock by Ayla Walker, Rochelle HS
- Honorable Mention — Frozen Creek by Allie Mortenson, Rochelle HS
Mixed Media
- 1st Place — Shades of Home by Autumn Tomlinson, Sycamore HS
- 2nd Place — Untitled by Janis Schnurr-Trebe, Sycamore HS
- 3rd Place — It’s an Elephant by Marisa Whaley, Rochelle HS
- Honorable Mention — Block by Katie Horn, Sycamore HS