Elmhurst Artists’ Guild Awards Scholarships to York Seniors
The Elmhurst Artists’ Guild (EAG) has awarded 2011 scholarships to Alexandra Tourlas and Angela Pauldine, both Elmhurst residents and seniors at York Community High School. The $600 cash scholarships are intended to be used to further the students’ art education.
Every spring, the EAG conducts a search for talented young artists by visiting local high schools, speaking with art teachers, reviewing art work and learning about the art goals of the student candidates. This year the scholarship search was conducted by EAG Board members Irene Boutzarelos and Adrienne Jaroscak, who selected one painting by each of Alexandra and Angela as the winning artworks, triggering the scholarship awards.
Alexandra Tourlas’ oil painting, “The All American,” depicts a smiling face composed of multi-ethnic features on a background evoking the red, white and blue American flag.
Tourlas explained, “The idea for it sprung from my personal observations of racial profiling and inaccurate stereotypes regarding race in our country. Being that our country is a melting pot of ethnicities, customs and appearances, the actual ‘all American’ identity stretches much further than these stereotypical boundaries allow it to. My ‘All American’ is a roughly assorted collage of people of varying races, ages, and cultures, all different in appearance and background, but all equally American. To me, this piece not only speaks out against racial profiling and stereotyping, but also instills a great sense of American pride in the viewer. It is what I consider a positive and uplifting response to a negative issue. I hope to inspire a broadened view of our country and the different people that make it the multi-cultural marvel that is America.”
Tourlas has been taking summer classes at the School of the Art Institute since she was in 8th grade, along with her high school art classes, and plans a career in art.
Angela Pauldine plans to attend The School of the Art Institute, earn an art degree and one day own a gallery.
Her double-winning oil painting, “Isolated,” also garnered the Alliance for Fine Arts Annual Student Scholarship.
Inspired by the nature of human dependency, Paildine commented, “Through my art I intend to show that depending heavily on others can either be detrimental to one’s self and ultimately tragic, or it can provide ease and develop valuable relationships. On occasion there is symmetry where it is detrimental and beneficial at the same time. My painting depicts two people who depend on each other so heavily that they have lost sight of their surroundings and purposefully ignore other people. Hence, one of the subjects has her eyes closed and the other lacks pupils. The two heads are adjoined at the ear while the outside ear is covered by their hands in order to block out others. I decided to depict them as naked, hairless humanoids rather than everyday people. By doing this their individuality is diminished so that the theme of dependence can be better relayed.”
Both winning artworks will be exhibited in the EAG Summer Members’ Show, held in the EAG Gallery, from June 26 through July 29.
About the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild Gallery
Located inside the Elmhurst Art Museum at 150 South Cottage Hill, the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild Gallery is a not for profit art gallery owned by the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild, featuring original contemporary artworks in a variety of styles and media. It hosts group and solo shows featuring the artwork of Guild members, invitational shows for significant local artists and the annual juried National Art Premiere group show drawing entries from across the continent. Exhibits are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Gallery sales benefit the artist, the EAG and Elmhurst Art Museum. More information is available at www.elmhurstartistsguild.org.