The Bloomingdale Artists Association (BAA) is pleased to announce the winner of its 2022 $1,000 scholarship. Allison Rivera of Winfield IL plans to pursue a Masters Degree in Art Therapy and will attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago this fall. Art therapy engages the mind, body and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal expression. Integrating art therapy with traditional forms of therapy may be beneficial to many patients.

Much of Allison’s artwork stems from her love of the horror genre. She admits she enjoys drawing creepy things and sprinkling some weirdness into her paintings. But while Allison’s work may gravitate to darker vibes, there is light behind her work in the form of charitable donations from her commissioned artwork.

The scholarship is co-funded by the BAA and Masterpiece Framing of Bloomingdale IL. The scholarship award will be presented to Allison at the BAA 2022 Spring Exhibit Artist Reception on Sunday, May 1, from 2-4 p.m. at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum, 108 S. Bloomingdale Road in Bloomingdale IL 60108. The exhibit runs from April 9 through May 7. The public is invited to view the exhibit, attend the reception, meet Allison, the BAA artists, and enjoy music and light refreshments.

We also welcome new members to the BAA, beginner to experienced artists, or anyone just curious about art. Applications are available at the exhibit and reception. Membership dues for the calendar year of September 2022 through May 2023 are $30 per person.

For more information, please contact: Roberta Cencig, 847-848-3482, robertacencig@yahoo.com or Bev Petrosius, 630-624-9545, bpetrosius@gmail.com