Arts & Entertainment
Will County, IL Students Shine at Chicagoland Art Exhibition
Joliet, IL – Four Joliet Central High School students are receiving recognition for their artistic talent after earning awards at the Chicagoland 4x5 Art Exhibition, a competition featuring hundreds o
By Mara Ellison · 2026-11-02T22:43:18.991Z
Joliet, IL – Four Joliet Central High School students are receiving recognition for their artistic talent after earning awards at the Chicagoland 4x5 Art Exhibition, a competition featuring hundreds of entries from high schools across the Chicago area.
According to Joliet Central High School, the students earned one third place finish and three honorable mentions in the exhibition, known as the "Largest 'Small' Art Show in the Nation."
Mayte Perez Serrato earned third place in printmaking, competing in a category featuring 30 entries.
Three additional students received honorable mentions. Emri Mason and Lena Nudi were recognized in mixed media, a category with 130 entries, while Maria Varela earned recognition in drawing, which featured 310 entries.
Art teachers Nyssa Grzyb and Rachel LaVine submitted the students' artwork for consideration.
"These students put so much thought and care into every detail of their work," Grzyb said. "Working at the 4x5 small scale takes patience and creativity, and they rose to the challenge."
LaVine emphasized the importance of giving young artists opportunities to display their work in a professional gallery environment.
The students will be recognized Wednesday, Nov. 4, during the exhibition's opening and awards presentation.
Portfolio Day runs from 5 to 7 p.m., with gallery viewing scheduled from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The awards presentation begins at 7:30 p.m.
The exhibition challenges high school artists to express their creativity within a small, standardized format.
Originally established at Fremd High School in Palatine in 2000, the competition is now hosted by the Oswego High School Visual Arts Department.
For Joliet Central and the surrounding Will County community, the awards highlight the creativity and accomplishments of local students competing against talented young artists throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
Additional exhibition information is available at www.chicagoland4x5.org .