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Students attended the High School Art Exhibition and Awards on Oct. 25, hosted by the Western Illinois University Art and Design.
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High School Students Honored at WIU Art Exhibition and Awards

November 11, 2024

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MACOMB, IL - - The Western Illinois University Art and Design department recognized several high school students at its annual High School Art Exhibition and Awards (HSAEA) event on Oct. 25.

Visiting students who were selected for awards were:


  • Sherry Tang - Best in Show - Pleasant Valley High School

  • Renny Fillingham - Blick Visionary - Moline Senior High School

  • Natasha Henning - First Place - 2D - Moline Senior High School

  • Lincoln Abel - Second Place - 2D - Moline Senior High School

  • Lily Almanza - Third Place - 2D - Moline Senior High School

  • Alaina Lafferty - First Place - 3D - Farmington Central High School

  • Sara Hayes - Second Place - 3D - Pekin Community High School

  • Kaden Graves - Third Place - 3D - Farmington Central High School

  • Arium Kidane - First Place - Photography - Moline Senior High School

  • Allyson Funk - Second Place - Photography - Pekin Community High School



The event also featured workshops focused on ceramics, jewelry metals, drawing, printmaking, screen printing and art education, as well as holding portfolio reviews.

"We were overjoyed by the turnout for our 2024 HSAEA event," said WIU Art and Design professor Ian Shelly. "We have done this for more than five years now and the attendance and enthusiasm grows every year. We had more than 80 students take place in the exhibition and competition and even more tagged along for the workshops and portfolio reviews with faculty. The WIU Department of Art and Design has big facilities that are well equipped and watching entire classes of high school students see what can be done in a bigger setting with some of the same materials is truly inspiring. This event is our biggest of the year and we are always thinking of ways to expand."

To learn more about the WIU Department of Art and Design, visit wiu.edu/art.

Posted By: Aaron Viner (AP-Viner@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing