Gretchen Hauger’s “Portrait” earned the People’s Choice Award recently at the Illinois Valley Community College Spring Art Show. The show was open to high school and college artists, whose work was displayed in the college Fine Arts Division lobby prior to the awards ceremony last week. Hauger is an Ottawa Township High School student. (Photo contributed)

OGLESBY – An Ottawa Township High School art student’s charcoal portrait captured the People’s Choice Award at Illinois Valley Community College’s Spring Art Show, which ended with an awards ceremony for the high school and college artists.

Gretchen Hauger’s evocative “Portrait” – completed using white charcoal on black paper – was a popular entry. Awards also went to the following students:

IVCC Best

• 3-D – Mary Tutoky, for a stoneware/ceramic glazed sculpture titled “Pants.”
• 2-D – Ariana Benitez, for “Anatomical Orchids” done in acrylic on paper.

High School Best

• 3-D – La Moille High School student Natleigh Wamhoff for her cardboard room model “Single Dude Apartment.”
• 2-D – Ottawa High student Rebekah Graman for her mixed media “Illustration.”

High school seniors attending IVCC in the fall could earn tuition waivers or fine arts scholarships. A tuition waiver was awarded to La Moille’s Donna Sloan for her colored pencil drawing “The Lion,” and a scholarship was awarded to Ottawa’s Leah Green for her acrylic on canvas “Portrait.”

This year’s gallery again featured a variety of high school and college works combined into one show, with awards in separate categories. Ten area high schools participated. The show was organized by IVCC art instructor Shannon Slaight.