Grayslake North’s very own art teacher Randall Sweitzer and junior Elijah Bond both recently were selected to participate in an exhibition of their art work. The Illinois Educator Art Exhibition showcases their artwork from September 1 through September 29.
“It’s one student and one teacher picked. There were twenty different teachers, and each of them brought one of their students,” said art teacher Randall Sweitzer.
Sweitzer was picked by this organization, and he was tasked with the job of picking a student to showcase their work with him at the exhibition.
“Mr. Sweitzer emailed me asking me if I would be willing to put my art in this show, and I was totally on board with it because it seemed like a pretty good opportunity,” Bond said.
“I am part of this art connected group. It’s a group of art teachers that are trying to improve the practice and the exposure to art education, so within there they offered those spots first to us and those twenty spots, and we all ended up occupying them,” Sweitzer said.
This organization holds exhibitions like this throughout the years. This year ended up being the 8th annual exhibition being held, although this year the event was held differently than the previous years.
“This was different from the past; this was the first of this format,” Sweitzer said.
The organization has possible prizes for the art educators and students. They offer Blick gift cards and ArtSpace Chicago Live Model Workshops or how to classes.
The two went to the exhibition in Chicago where their art was shown along with the other students and teachers chosen.
“When I showed up, my art was already up there. The host greeted me and gave me a name tag. Once Mr. Sweitzer got there, he got a name tag too. Everyone gathered around and did a little introductions of their own work,” Bond said.
The art exhibit did not have a specific theme or agenda to follow besides the artwork needing to be 2D and framed. Students and teachers were encouraged to have a similar theme, but it was not required.
“This is pretty much, I mean as far as what they were looking for, or what the general philosophy was, the artwork didn’t have to be connected thematically…being so early in the semester though that was hard to do, so what we did we each did a printmaking process. They were different processes, but what we showed were both printmaking. We both showed artwork we’d made previously,” Sweitzer said.
The ArtSpace Chicago receives 35 percent of the proceeds from sales made at the exhibit. Even after purchase, the artwork will remain at the exhibit for view until the end of the show.
