4 Joliet Central students earn $1.2 million in art scholarship offers

Four Joliet Central art students received scholarship offers totaling $1.2 million from colleges and universities at the Illinois High School Art Exhibition main event on April 23 at the Bridgeport Art Center.

This also included individual awards in the amount of $80,000. The offers were based on their portfolio submissions, according to a news release from Joliet Township High School District 204 announcing the honors. The JTHS Foundation provided the students’ entry fee, the news release said.

The four students – Lesley Catalan, Mario Lazo, Janet Medina and Kelly Magana Obscura – are art students of Nyssa Gzryb and Rachel LaVine.

Lesley Catalan and Janet Medina were chosen to display their artwork at the exhibition.

Janet Medina was also selected to participate in the Drawing Art Showdown, a timed drawing competition, the news release said.

Central art students Alivia Carter, Rui Gomez and Mia Anella Jimenez also participated, the news release said.

To qualify for the exhibition, students submitted art portfolios and were then selected across eight categories, the news release said.

The Illinois High School Art Exhibition awards over 130 million dollars in scholarship offers to students every year, the news release said.

The Northern Regional Exhibition “is one of Illinois’ largest and most influential student art exhibitions,” the release said.

More than 150 high schools from across the state participate in this juried exhibition every year, the release said. The top entries in each category receive prizes and recognition.

ArtConnectED, an organization 100% “powered by teacher volunteers” presented the event.

For more information visit jths.org and artconnected.org.