EVERGREEN PARK, IL — The Evergreen Park Community High School art department has partnered with the Evergreen Park Library to host the Juneteenth Interactive Portrait Project. The exhibit showcases the artwork of 70 Evergreen Park Community High School students. Students created portraits of Black heroes who embody the spirit of Juneteenth and attached a video accessible with a QR code for the viewer to interact with the artist’s subject.

"I feel very excited and proud,” EPCHS student Juliana Bosch said. “I worked really hard on my painting, so I’m very happy that it will be getting recognition by the public. I also really love Lionel Richie’s music so I hope that other people who also love his music will be excited to see it."

The artwork will be on display at the Evergreen Park Public Library throughout the month of June, EPCHS art teacher Libby McArthur said. 

"Every day, my students work incredibly hard to create amazing works of art, however, this project goes beyond that,” McArthur said. “As the co-chair of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for Art Educators in Illinois, it is projects like this that highlight the importance of creating culturally responsive teaching and embedding Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and other historically oppressed people into your lesson plans that positively transform the culture of our educational spaces. These students researched and explored their own Black heroes and I could not be more proud of them."

A reception to celebrate the artwork is scheduled for Thursday, June 20, from 6-6:30 p.m. at the Evergreen Park Public Library, 9401 S. Troy Ave.

"I think it’s a good assignment and a step to show appreciation to African Americans,” student Deja Nelson said. “I feel as if it gives justice to those having to deal with slavery, and this is a start to opening the door about slavery and African American history."

Added student Adam Bowden, "I feel like the assignment was important to celebrate Black cultural figures. I think it was a good idea for our class to do this."

And, Jax Olson, "This project is important because Black voices are usually silenced due to racism, so it's important to shed light on them."