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High school artists from several area schools gathered at Lincoln Trail College for Celebrate Art! Day, an event designed to inspire and recognize young talent. Students had the opportunity to learn from award-winning graphic designer and educator Samantha Tableriou, participate in a creative exercise, and showcase their work in the Celebrate Art! show.
Tableriou, based in central Illinois, specializes in creating dynamic, immersive design experiences, particularly for exhibitions and interactive environments. In addition to teaching college-level design courses, she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to develop compelling in-person experiences that foster connection and storytelling. Her passion for art and education was evident as she shared insights into her career, offering students a glimpse into the professional world of design.
She also led an interactive activity, guiding students through a game of Exquisite Corpse, a collaborative drawing exercise where each artist contributes to a piece without seeing previous sections until the end. This surrealist technique encourages creativity and unpredictability in the artistic process, and students embraced the challenge, producing unique and imaginative works.
Prior to the event, more than 100 pieces of art were submitted for the Celebrate Art! show. Each participating artist received a certificate, and several students were honored with Outstanding Artist Awards:
- Macey Hayes, Red Hill High School – Yaelokre (charcoal)
- Carmalee Treat, Red Hill High School – A Memorial to Panda (scratchboard)
- Rachel Barker, Red Hill High School – Chicken Scratch (scratchboard)
- Breana Pettigrew, Hutsonville High School – Binxe (acrylic)
- Lexie Biernbaum, Hutsonville High School – Blossoms n' Blooms (ceramic)
- Alessia Madeddu, Hutsonville High School – American Duck (ceramic)
- Madison Kelly, Lawrenceville High School – Better Days (pencil and charcoal)
Madison Kelly was also awarded Best of Show for her piece Held Down (pencil and charcoal).
During a reception following the event, attendees participated in a vote for the People’s Choice Award, resulting in a tie between Atlas Clapp of Palestine High School for the oil painting Immortal and Carmalee Treat of Red Hill High School for the scratchboard piece A Memorial to Panda.
Celebrate Art! Day at Lincoln Trail College provided young artists with an opportunity to learn, collaborate, and gain recognition for their talents, reinforcing the college’s commitment to fostering artistic expression in the community.
