Five art students from Lincoln Park High School recently received "Best of Show" awards and recognition during The Lisa Show at The Great Frame Up, 2905 N. Broadway. Their winning pieces, along with the artwork of many of their classmates, will remain on display for the next several weeks.
"This is a great program," said Chris Zachara, a junior at LPHS, whose piece titled "A Sunset" won in the painting category. "I think it's amazing that they recognize young artists this way. I would like to participate again next year." Other winners included Jeremy Treadwell, a senior, for his Computer Graphics Design titled "The Machine Man," Rebecca Goldschmidt, a senior, for her photograph called "Early Saturday Morning Sun On Diner Table," Lavina Sinitean, a senior, for her Three-Dimensional piece called "Breaking The Stereotype," and Nicholas Lama, a senior, for his drawing titled "Trio."
All five students will be competing with artists from other area high schools during The Lisa Show's "Best-of-the-Best" exhibition which takes place from May 12 through May 27 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It is there that all Lisa Show winners will compete with one another for $15,000 in scholarship money. The awards will be presented on Sunday, May 16.
The Lisa Show (formerly known as the Creative Self-Expression Show) was first introduced to local high school art classrooms in 1995. It was then that show founders David and Marlowe Klitzky realized that funds for local art programs were diminishing. Their solution was to create a program where their stores would "adopt" local high school art departments. This "adoption" included the donation of art supplies (artist portfolios, mat-boards, and custom framing for over 700 pieces), the sponsoring of art exhibitions (from 28 local high schools), and the hosting of student art galleries (now called The Lisa Show) in all seven of their Chicago-area Great Frame Up locations.
The program is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year. In 2004 alone the chain will donate over $100,000 in art supplies, custom framing (of over 700 pieces of art) and award money.
Up until 2002, the chain’s student gallery exhibitions were called the Creative Self-Expression Shows. In 2003, the name was changed to The Lisa Show in memory of David and Marlowe's 25-year old daughter Lisa Klitzky, who lost her battle with a very rare form of cancer the year before. Among a great many things, Lisa was an artist who loved to express herself in her work as a graphic designer and in her paintings and drawings. In memory of Lisa and her love of all things art, the show was renamed The Lisa Show. Further, David and Marlowe have given a definition to Lisa's initials that they believe captures the essence of their philosophy: LISA = Life Is Simply Art. |
