EVERGREEN PARK, IL — A piece of artwork made by Libby McArthur, an art teacher at Evergreen Park Community High School, has been selected for inclusion in the National Art Education Association (NAEA) juried exhibition located on the Association’s website, www.arteducators.org.
The exhibit features artworks created by NAEA’s vibrant professional community of visual arts educators, highlighting a portion of the tremendous skill and vision of members worldwide. In addition to being art educators, many NAEA members are exhibiting artists as well.
McArthur’s piece of artwork that was selected for the national display is titled “Drip.” Her description of the work on the NAEA website states, “In the fall of 2023, I created a series of black-and-white ink drawings based around mythology from around the world. Drip is one of these drawings based around ‘the serpent that circles the earth,’ Jormungandr, based in Norse mythology.”
“After experiencing some trauma in 2022, I found myself becoming more dark and my art a little monstrous, literally,” McArthur said. “I created a series of mythical creature drawings to take my mind off the panic attacks I was having while working. I am very proud of myself for stretching past my limits to create art that has bettered my mental health.”
NAEA Executive Director Mario R. Rossero informed McArthur that her work had been selected for the exhibit via an email that read, “Your work was thoughtfully reviewed by a panel of jurors and selected for display from among 433 peer submissions.
Submissions were reviewed based on originality and uniqueness, clarity and meaning, innovation and creativity, material usage and medium application and quality and craftsmanship.
“We are honored to showcase your work, ideas, and creative spirit,” Rossero wrote.
In its call for submissions, the NAEA received 433 works from 29 states, Canada, South Korea, and Vietnam. Jurors selected 82 works for the virtual exhibition, including the one from McArthur titled “Drip.”
The exhibit was published online on Nov. 19, and will be available for viewing on the NAEA website through April 25, 2025.