Champaign — 40 North | 88 West – Champaign County’s Arts Council – is pleased to announce the fourth annual Eric Show, a juried exhibition featuring artwork from several area high schools.
This extraordinary show is endowed by Dale and Peg Steffensen, in memory of Dale’s son Eric (1951-1970). Throughout high school, Eric won countless awards for his art and demonstrated remarkable potential. He was working with Rob Fisher, then a sculpture professor at the University of Illinois, and preparing his portfolio with plans of becoming an art major at UIUC. Eric had graduated a semester early from Urbana High School but while driving home from a hockey game in early 1970, he was killed by a drunk driver at the corner of Race and Michigan streets in Urbana. The Steffensens hope The Eric Show will honor Eric’s memory as well as encourage and inspire the amazing young artists of this community.
The following schools are represented in the 2013 Eric Show at the Illini Union Art Gallery: Centennial High School (Champaign), Central High School (Champaign), Heritage High School (Broadlands), The High School of St. Thomas More (Champaign), Monticello High School (Monticello), GCMS High School (Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley), Rantoul Township High School (Rantoul), University Laboratory High School (Urbana), Urbana High School (Urbana), Bement High School (Bement), and Unity High School (Tolono).
Members of the public are invited to the opening reception of the fourth annual Eric Show at the Illini Union Art Gallery, 1401 West Green Street in Urbana, on Friday, March 8th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. There will be refreshments provided by University Catering and music from The Conservatory: Veronika Sowers (violin), George Ruan (violin), and Kitty Schwartz (cello).
The show will be on display from March 8th to March 29th.