Excellence in the arts is alive and well among Will County students

A number of students from school in Joliet and Plainfield have demonstrated excellence in their artistic techniques and shared their art with others, too.

Recently, students from Joliet Catholic Acadmey’s National Art Society used their creative skills to help decorate duffel bags for children in foster care. Participating students stopped at the JCA art room to pick up their panel and a package of oil pastels. The students then worked on their design at home, according to a news release from JCA.

The duffel bags were given to Together We Rise, a a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of children in foster care, according to the organization’s website. Together we Rise fills the duffel bags with Teddy bears, blankets and hygiene items “so that children do not have to travel from home to home with their belongings in a trash bag,” the release said.

The following JCA students participated: Abby Pasternak, Ryan Hearne, Lauren Klump, Teresa Rodriguez, Caroline Pender, Jenna Bolek, Aubrey Hatfield, Lily Ray, Grace Leeders, Janessa Garcia, Olivia Antzoulatos, Grace Buss, Calli Turner, Natalie Kent, Nandni Patel, Bella Dixon, Katlyn VanDyke, Michael Rouse and Charlie Kinsella.

For more information, visit togetherwerise.org.

The following students were recently recogized for their creative talents.

Joliet Central High School students earn awards at competitions

Joliet Central students Tamia Vaughn and Giselle Ibarra earned all sectional honors for their group interpretation performances at the Lockport Sectional Competition, which was held virtually on March 20, according to a news release from Joliet Central.

Group Interpretation is an IHSA competitive speech/theater event. Student performers and musicians perform a story within 30 minutes. They do not use sets, props or costumes.

Joliet Central’s drama department received an exemplary rating for its short film “Persp3ctives” at the IHSA Short Film Competition, held on March 29. All three judges on the state panel gave the film an exemplary rating, according to a news release from Joliet Central.

The following students wrote, filmed and produced the piece: Sebastian Zamudio, Mallory Arend, Keegan Srebro, Rachel Dunne, Zoey Denson, Arie Bennett, and Adelma Chavez, starring Zoey Denson, Adelma Chavez and Rachel Dunne.

Watch the five-minute film at vimeo.com/529349949.

Student at Aux Sable Middle School in Plainfield chosen for statewide music showcase

Kamryn Cook, a seventh-grader at Aux Sable Middle School in Plainfield, is one of just 10 students participating in the Illinois Chapter of Percussive Arts Society’s student showcase on April 10, according to a news release from District 202.

Her father is Jerrod Cook, band director at Plainfield South High School.

Kamryn will introduce herself before her video plays, She submitted a video of her marimba solo “Yellow After the Rain,” by Mitchell Peters.

She has played marimba for nearly two years, but she also plays piano and snare drum. She practices for 30 minutes, twice a day.

Thirty-eight District 202 high school student earned high honors at art conference

Plainfield South High School virtuall hosted the Southwest Prairie Art Conference on March 8, according to a news release from District 202

More than 130 students participated from all 12 Southwest Prairie Conference high schools including Plainfield High School-Central Campus, and Plainfield South, North and East high schools; Joliet West and Central high schools; Minooka, Oswego, Oswego East and Romeoville, Yorkville and West Aurora high schools.

One student from each school won an Up and Coming Artist award. Plainfield South and Plainfield East High School placed second and third places overall, respectively. Thirty-eight District 202 high school students earned high honors.

Plainfield High School-Central Campus

Second place:

• Marlee Rogoz, senior, hand-built ceramics

• Emily Guardado, sophomore, drawing neutral

• Samantha Jessen, sophomore, jewelry, textiles, and other crafts

Up In Coming Artist award:

• Gianna Olivo, senior

Plainfield South High School

First place:

• Paulina Brownson, junior, animation

• Vivanne Angulo, junior, hand-built ceramics

• Connor Yun, senior, wheel-thrown ceramics

Second place:

• Jordan Castellano, senior, wheel-thrown ceramics

Third place:

• Mia Emerson, senior, mixed media

• Marisa Marino, junior, sculpture

Up In Coming Artist award:

• Isabella Strutman, freshman

Honorable mention:

• Shya Hibbler, junior, digital photography

• Summer Smentek, senior, graphic design

• Alysa Slawinski, junior, computer generated art

• Cris Padilla, senior, painting

Plainfield North High School

First place:

• Antonia Boryca, senior, computer generated art

Second place:

• Scarlette Conners, junior, watercolor

• Maira Salim, freshman, mixed media

Third place:

• Alex Lowell, senior, acrylic painting

Up In Coming Artist award:

• Melina Aslam, freshman

Honorable mention:

• Gabby Bonasera, senior, drawing color

• Valerie Loeblich, senior, drawing color

• Waverly Cayo, junior, drawing neutral

• Mia Davis, sophomore, drawing neutral

• Sophia Sung, senior, drawing neutral

• Imogen Sinclair, freshman, sculpture

Plainfield East High School

First place:

• Eugenia Amado-Tocuyo, senior, painting, oil on canvas

• Monique Klepk, sophomore, drawing neutral

• Lilli Egizio, senior, mixed media

Second place:

• Ariana Edrial, senior, animation

Up In Coming Artist award:

• Tyra Corpuz, sophomore

Honorable mentions:

• Natalie Hua, senior, commercial design

• David Enriquez, Jr., senior, digital photography

• Kendall Haupt, junior, colored pencil

• Gena Brown, senior, computer generated art

• Alexis McAvoy, sophomore, watercolor

• Adam Jackson, junior, digital photography