Illinois Residents Raised Cicada Appreciation to an Art Form. Check Out the Winners of a Statewide Contest

Patty Wetli | August 13, 2024, 6:18 pm

Batavia’s Chris Hodge, a high school art teacher, earned Best in Show for “Dawn of the Cicada.” (Chris Hodge)

Prepare to get all nostalgic for the extremely recent past.

Back in May, when Illinois’ historic dual emergence of periodical cicada broods was all anyone could talk about, the state sent out a call for submissions to a cicada-themed art contest.

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Well, the insects are long gone, but the winners of the contest — revealed at the State Fair — are here to remind us of that fleeting moment when we all collectively bugged out over bugs.

Batavia’s Chris Hodge, a high school art teacher, earned Best in Show for “Dawn of the Cicada,” an illustration of a recently molted cicada rising to meet the dawn.

“I think about how long those cicadas stay under the earth growing and changing, and when they emerge, they still haven’t reached their final form,” Hodge said in a statement. “I felt like the first light of the dawn connects well with the final form of the cicada. To me it represents something that was formed in the darkness and was awakened or enlightened by the light.”

The entries — separated into adult and youth categories — were judged by staff from the Illinois State Museum and Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Winners, finalists and special award winners are on display at the State Fair and can also be viewed online.

Electronic voting is open for a People’s Choice award. Check out the entries and submit your favorite via email to [email protected]. Put “Cicada People’s Choice” in the subject line or your vote won’t count. Sorry, Chicagoans, only one vote per person.

Here’s a look at some of the winners, representing various media.

Joy Cheng, 14, from Chicago, took first place among youth ages 14-17 for “Cicada’s Song.” (Joy Cheng)

Jeremy Berkley of East Peoria won the adults’ best of printmaking for “Live Loud.” (Jeremy Berkley)

Jennifer Wharton of Murphysboro won the First Lady MK Pritzker award for adult entries for her photo “Cicada on Blooming Buckeye Tree.” Note: The image has been rotated for formatting. (Jennifer Wharton)