Visual Arts

Preparation in the visual arts provides our young women with creative and critical problem-solving skills in addition to developing their own appreciation of art as a unique visual record of the diverse cultures of the world. The Visual Arts take a holistic orientation to education. Our curriculum is designed to challenge McAuley's young women to:

  • engage to the imagination.
  • foster flexible ways of thinking creatively and critically.
  • develop disciplined effort.
  • build self-confidence.
  • achieve technical skills for personal expression.
  • build portfolios for future study and career opportunities.
  • compete and exhibit their original artwork.

Our art students participate in many private and public-sponsored competitions. They also enter into many exhibitions throughout the South Chicago Metropolitan area, Illinois and Midwest region, including the Art ConnectED Senior Scholarship competition and exhibition, IAEA Northerner Regional Art Exhibition,  Midwest Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Art Program sponsors the Annual Juried Art Exhibition/Artapalooza and a senior Franklin Framing Gallery in Blue Island. 

First page of the PDF file: Camp_flyer_20242sided

Get ready for a MAC-nificent summer at McAuley! Our 2024 Summer Camps are now open for registration now! Learn more about our summer camps and register today. 

2023 Recap!

As this year comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to recap all of the MAC-TASTIC accomplishments of 2023! It was such a special year, and we are MIGHTY grateful to everyone who helped make it possible.

Join us for the Not-So-Haunted House!

This annual spooktacular event hosted by our Clubs and Organizations is geared towards kids ages 2-8. Enjoy games and activities led by our students! 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023
4:00 - 6:00pm
Low-sensory time to accommodate children with special needs from 3:30 - 4:00pm
$3 per child, adults are free
Register today!

 

AP Art students participate in Memory Project

For over 10 years, Mother McAuley Advanced Placement Art students have participated in the Memory Project, which invites high school students to create heartfelt portraits of children living in orphanages around the world. Over the summer, the portraits were delivered to children in Cameroon, and the video below shows their joyous reactions to receiving the artwork.

Join us for Open House

Join us for Open House on Thursday, November 2 from 6:00-8:00pm! 

There will be presentations about academic programs, electives, athletics, financial aid, scholarships and transportation, You will also have a chance to meet students, athletes, coaches, teachers and administration. 

Learn More & Register Today!

Jr High artists attend workshop

The Future Macs are MIGHTY talented! We had the best time sculpting, painting, drawing, and more with all of you at our Junior High Art Workshop.

ABC 7 visits Mother McAuley

WOW, it was a MIGHTY special morning on 99th Street! ABC 7's Terrell Brown sang Taylor Swift with Acapella, sipped Starbucks in the Kitty Mac Cafe, played volleyball with the State Champs, crowd-surfed with MacNation on our turf field, and officially became a Mighty Mac when he threw on the M costume himself.

Our girls truly showed ABC 7 what McAuley is all about, and we did it all before the sun came up!

In case you missed the live broadcast, be sure to check out a few highlights

Rise to the Challenge for Mercy Day of Giving

We know McAuley women are unafraid to face challenges head on. They lead with conviction. They advocate for others with compassion. They set weighty goals and exceed their own expectations.

This Mercy Day of Giving, September 22, we are asking our alumnae, family and friends to Rise to the Challenge and help us reach our goal of raising $150,000 from 600+ donors for Mother McAuley.

This day of giving has a far-reaching impact as we continue our commitment to invest in our students.

It's not too early to support McAuley!
Learn more and donate today!

Summer camp fun!

Check out photos from our recent summer camps, including softball, photography and more!

Rising sophomore wins Western Golf Association's BMW Championship Tunnel Mural Art Contest

Congratulations to Kaylee Davenport ‘26 for winning the Western Golf Association’s BMW Championship Tunnel Mural Art contest. This artwork will be part of a mural on display at the 2023 BMW Championship August 15th-20th at Olympia Fields Country Club. Tens of thousands of golf fans will pass by the mural on their way to watch the top 50 players on the PGA Tour!

cART ride for art students

Today we recognized the visual arts students who represented Mother McAuley in the Northern Regional Exhibition with a cart ride. 

Showcasing art students at annual Artapalooza

McAuley's annual Artapalooza was held on Thursday, May 4! It was a great afternoon showcasing our incredibly talented students! Did you know over 570 students participate in one or more art class a year?! We are so proud of all their creations and grateful for the way they brighten our hallways.

Artapalooza 2023 to be held on May 4

McAuley's annual Artapalooza will be held on Thursday, May 4 from 1:40 - 4:00pm! The event showcases the work of our talented art students. Attendees will enjoy viewing the artwork on display, grabbing snacks from food trucks, listening to music, participating in raffles and more. 

Second semester Macs with Merit announced

Congratulations to our second semester Macs with Merit! These students were selected by a teacher or staff member to receive this award based on their honorable character, diligent work ethic and notable contributions to the McAuley community. We are very proud of these young women!

A MIGHTY night at our November Open House!

Thank you to everyone who attended Open House! We had a great time showing you around our school and sharing the wonderful academics and activities we have to offer! We hope to see you again soon.

Welcoming Jr. High artists!

Thank you to all the future macs who joined us for our Junior High Art Workshop. We are mighty impressed with all of your creations!

Celebrating International Day of the Girl

Every day at McAuley we celebrate girls. On International Day of the Girl we especially celebrate the opportunity McAuley provides for young women to become empowered leaders that change the world.

Calling all Jr High artists!

Get creative and discover your talents with the Mother McAuley Art Department! Choose one of five projects to learn more about painting, digital imaging, sculpture, drawing or photography! 

Learn More & Register

Journalism Students celebrated with Cart Ride

We held a cart ride in honor of our  journalism students who won awards from the Illinois Journalism Education Association and in the 2022 Scholastic Press Association of Chicago, Student Media Awards.

Register for Summer Camps 2022!

We are very excited to announce that registration is now available online for McAuley Summer Camps! From sports to art to theatre to science, we have a camp for you! There are camps available for ages K - 12!

Learn More & Register!

First page of the PDF file: promdressresale_2022REVISED

11 of our talented young artists were announced as 2022 Regional Scholastic and Writing Award recipients. These Mighty Macs were recognized by the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center for their original works and received 16 Midwest Scholastic Art Awards!

Mother McAuley is one of the top 20 Illinois Art Education Associations scholarship schools.

In the Spring of 2020 our Advanced Placement Art & Design students received $1,700,000.00 in scholarship offers.
In the Spring of 2022 our Advanced Placement Art & Design students received $3,987,718.00 in scholarship offers.