Art continues to inspire

Students from West Chicago Community High School represented the community at an annual art showcase.

By Ja’Nyah Villa, Co-Editor-in-Chief • March 13, 2026

Art students at WEGO compete in annual Upstate 8 conference; above is a second place winner in the painting category titled “Fuit Diptych.” Photo courtesy of Sarah Jimenez.

Eight artists from West Chicago Community High School had their art showcased at the 2026 Upstate Eight Conference.

The Upstate Eight Art Show is a yearly exhibition that showcases art made by students from high schools across the Upstate Eight Conference. The display is judged by outside judges who determine which pieces of art will receive awards. There are many categories to compete in, such as: drawing, painting, pottery, photography, and more.

Over 100 students participated in the conference. The contending schools included Bartlett, East Aurora, Larkin, Fenton, Glenbard East, Elmwood Park, West Aurora, Elgin, South Elgin, Streamwood, West Chicago, Riverside Brookfield, and Ridgewood.

“Marbled Face” by Sarah Jimenez won second in ceramics. “It was really exciting to watch my piece be able to compete against other great ceramic pieces that students from other schools had made,” Jimenez said. “Being recognized in the show served as a reminder of what I’m capable of and the creativity that other students possess.” Photo courtesy of Sarah Jimenez.

“The experience at the art show was very interesting because of the fact that there is more than one category that artists can enter in. So as I walked through the gallery of all of the pieces, I saw a huge variety from sculptures and photography to paintings and prints,” DePaz said.

Two schools within the Upstate Eight are responsible for hosting the event and picking the judges, who are juried.

“The Upstate 8 Art Show is special for student artists because it is one of the great opportunities that they have to be recognized on a conference level for their amazing work. It’s basically our version of athletic awards or championships,” art teacher Megan Dulkinys said. “For a student to have their work selected for this show means that they are among the top artists in our community, and embody something unique and exciting in their artwork.”

The students from West Chicago that were selected to be recognized at the conference included Jennifer Escobedo, who placed third in painting, and Sarah Jimenez, who placed second in ceramics.

Marlene Perez, Kezziah DePaz, Jakub Skibinski, Alan Caballero, Melody (MJ) Becker, and Libby Labosier were all finalists in their respective categories.

“Usually people say that X inspired them and they created art, but for me it was the opposite. I created art and it inspired me,” Labosier said.

About the Contributor

Ja’Nyah Villa, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ja’Nyah Villa is a senior in her fourth year of writing for the Chronicle! She started her journalism career during her freshman year, and her experience built up her credentials. She is one of five co-hosts for the Chronicle’s video news segment “What’s the word Wego?” Additionally, she is the co-editor-in-chief for the paper. Ja’Nyah hopes to pursue a career in book publishing or journalism. She is very driven and dedicated to her schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Outside of Journalism, Ja’Nyah is an active member of Wego Drama and serves on the leadership team as Senior Representative. There, she spends most of her time on stage and has even been part of a state-qualifying play. Aside from theater, Ja’Nyah is passionate about her music classes. She is a 3-year member of Wego’s Honors Acappella Chamber Choir, where she dedicates hours of her time to practice and go to gigs; She is also a member of the concert choir. Ja’Nyah’s hobbies include reading and listening to music. So far, she has read 8 books in 2025, and her favorite book is “Thunderhead,” by Neal Shusterman. She also enjoys listening to music (while she reads and otherwise)! Her top 5 artists on Spotify are Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, BoyWithUke, Conan Gray, and Lizzy McAlpine. Her favorite genres are pop, punk, rock, and musical theater!

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