EIU Media Relations

EIU’s Tarble to showcase artwork of local children

[Contributing Author: Morgan Austin]

Exhibit at Charleston Carnegie Public Library to take place through October 17

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University’s Tarble Arts Center will display its Cultivating Creativity 2019-2020: Consolidated Communications Children’s Art Exhibition through Thursday, October 17 at the Charleston Carnegie Public Library, located at 712 6th Street, Charleston. This exhibition will feature 40 artworks from students from 11 school districts throughout east-central Illinois. An exhibition event will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 12, in the library’s second-floor Atrium, with refreshments available in the Carnegie Reading Room (adjacent to the Atrium).

Cultivating Creativity was created by the Tarble Arts Center as a community engagement program that raises awareness of the importance of including art as part of the regular school curriculum. This exhibition has seen success due to the partnership between the school art programs, Eastern Illinois University, and the underwriting assistance of Consolidated Communications, headquartered in Mattoon.

The students represent schools in the Ashmore, Charleston, and Mattoon communities, and include the following:

• Evelyn Brooks, a fourth-grader, made a fiber “Woven Bag” and Larkin Nay, a second-grader, made the “Winter Wonderland” with mixed media. Both students are from Ashmore Elementary School and were supervised by Mandy White.
• Sidney Furry, a second-grader at Carl Sandburg Elementary School, created “Laurel Burch Style Cat” using tempera and sharpie under the instruction of Heather Bryan.
• Heather Siegel instructed Charleston High School sophomores Ava Stephens and Hailee Davis on their mixed media artwork projects “Hogwarts” and “Bob Ross.”
• Mandy White oversaw the work of Alexis Gray, seventh-grader at Charleston Middle School, for “Colorful Magazine,” a piece made of magazines.
• Shannon Brinkmeyer Johnson supervised three fourth-graders from Jefferson Elementary School: Autumn Carson for “Selfie,” Alexander Schuetz for “Reflection,” and Alaiyah Tyler-Nelson for “Portrayal.” They all used construction paper, pencil and crayon.
• Ollie White, a kindergartener at Mark Twain Elementary, used mixed media for her creation “Lizard on a Branch,” and was advised by Mandy White.
• Mackenzie Graham, a senior, penciled “That is Indeed my Face;” Alyssa Deremiah, a senior, used ceramics for “Winnie the Pooh;” and Tess Huene, a sophomore, also used ceramics for “Gnomeo.” All students represent Mattoon High School and were advised by Janahn Kolden.
• Sarah Schrock, sixth-grader at Mattoon Middle School, employed mixed media for “Happily Flying,” and was advised by Julia Colombo.
• Isabel Angel, fifth-grader, crayoned “Ironman,” while Alaina Kennedy, third-grader, used crayon and tempera for “Harvest Flint Corn.” Both are from Mattoon Riddle Elementary School and were advised by Rob Niemerg.
• Fifth-graders at Williams Elementary School Madi Smith and Brooklynn Redfern crafted, respectively, “Flowers” with ceramics, and a mixed-media design for “Summer Day,” under the instruction of Joy Miller.

For more information about the Cultivating Creativity Exhibition, or about other exhibitions and educational programming, please contact EIU’s Tarble Arts Center by calling (217) 581-2787, or by emailing tarble@eiu.edu.

For more information about EIU, or to learn more about its growing assortment of programs and services, visit the university’s website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.