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W. Chicago District 33 Student Art Show at Gallery 200

West Chicago, Illinois: February 20, 2013 - West Chicago School District 33 art teachers are thrilled at the opportunity to showcase the talents of their students in what will be a new venue for them, Gallery 200, located at 200 Main Street in downtown West Chicago. The student art show titled Art is the Heart of the City celebrates Youth Art Month and will be open to the public during the month of March. Plus, the public is invited to a free reception for the show on Friday, March 8, 2013 at which students, family, friends and faculty will be on-hand to share their enthusiasm for the arts programming in the District and the community at large.

The student exhibit will consist of artwork from Pioneer, Turner, Indian Knoll, Currier, Wegner and Gary Elementary Schools, as well as West Chicago Middle School. Visitors can expect to see a variety of both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional media, representing a broad spectrum of styles and artistic periods/genres that are taught in grades 1 through 8. Artwork on display is representative of the quality art program School District 33 offers and demonstrates the creativity of its young artists.

The theme was chosen by the District 33 art teachers to emphasize the value of participation in art for all children. Art activities stimulate creativity, imagination, perception and selectivity. In their art classrooms children enter the world of painting, drawing, sculpting, fiber arts, and modeling with clay. Children use critical thinking skills while looking for more than one solution, and uniquely interpret understanding of the concepts taught. Those small differences can produce wonderful variety in their work.

District 33 art teachers are Kirsten Snodgrass, Linda Rooney, Barb Aronson, Linda Fallon, Lisa Miller, Christine Cintula, and Mary Garcia. These teachers are proud to display their students' work in the Gallery where retired District 33 art teachers, Heide Morris and Fredericka Howard, have been featured artists as well as curators and hosts to many exhibits. Student artwork has been a part of the cultural fabric in West Chicago for many years. Art is the Heart of the City gives a new face to this historical connection.

“As a former art teacher of District 33 I know the importance of the art shows to the Visual Arts Program. This type of display not only gives the students and their families an opportunity to experience an art gallery format, but also will let the general community see what our schools are accomplishing. We are excited to have our students participate at Gallery 200 this year”, said volunteer Gallery administrator Heide Morris.

Gallery 200 has served as an incubator for creative talent for the surrounding area for the past seven years and is proud to welcome a series of exhibits in collaboration with educational art programs in 2013. Participating in the Featured Artist Series in addition to West Chicago School District 33 in the month of March was a program from South Elgin High School in January, Blackburn College Department of Visual Arts in February, and the upcoming exhibit for College of DuPage in April. This exciting collaboration will showcase the abundant creative talent that resides in West Chicago and the surrounding communities, and is evidence of the supporting role of Gallery 200 as a venue for developing, emerging and proficient artists of all media.

Gallery 200 is a cultural initiative supported by the City of West Chicago and the West Chicago Cultural Arts Commission, and is one more reason West Chicago was named an Illinois Arts Friendly Community in 2007. Gallery 200 is open Thursday and Friday from 12:00 - 8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. For more information, including a complete list of current art classes, call (630) 293-9550 or visit www.gallery200.org.

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