Artwork by ninth grader selected by Illinois Art Educators Association

Artwork created by MCHS 9th-grader Keyla Paz is featured in the 2023 Youth Art Month poster after it was selected as the high school winner in a statewide competition sponsored by the Illinois Art Education Association.

The artwork was a final exam project for Art and Design 1 at Freshman Campus. Art Instructor Jessica Metropulos submitted it and others to the statewide Youth Art Month Poster Contest.

“This is a very exciting honor,” Metropulos said.

Youth Art Month is a national program sponsored by the Council for Art Education each March to highlight the importance of art education in school. Activities are meant to celebrate visual arts for grades K-12. For more about Youth Art Month, visit the Illinois Art Education Association or the Council for Art Education.

Metropulos said she had all students create artwork with the “Art Brings Us Joy” theme, which is the national theme for 2023.

Art students at MCHS regularly participate in art and design shows competitions, including the recent districtwide holiday greeting card design contest and the recent 4 x 6 show at Crystal Lake Central High School.