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I grew up in the small central Illinois city of Jacksonville and loved art from a young age. I was constantly drawing, sometimes on items I wasn’t supposed to. As I entered Jr High School and High School, I began to take art classes in school and that’s when I truly fell in love with it. Much of that love was brought about by some amazing teachers that I had back then. Teachers that taught me that art was a legitimate pursuit. So I went on to Eastern Illinois University, where I was an Art major with a 2D studio option and an art history minor.

After college I unfortunately drifted away from art as I took a job in a non art related field and began a family with my wife. Basically nothing was created for the next 28 years. Enter Covid.

As with the rest of the world, I found myself with extra time on my hands. At my wife’s suggestion, I began to draw again. Within a month I started working with white pencil on black paper and that is what I’ve stuck with since. To date, I’ve only shown live within the borders of the state of Illinois, but I have been included in some national and international online shows. Awards and ribbons are wonderful, but the true joy I’ve found from creating art is sharing it with people and talking with them.

I’ve now created over 200 pieces and still constantly learn new techniques that the medium shows me. So I continue to create new pieces to share with you, because that is what gives me the most joy.

Matt Jagitsch

Matt Jagitsch

  • 2021 Grand Detour Arts Festival- Best of Show, Silverback 

  • 2021 Grand Detour Arts Festival- Honorable Mention, Strength From Struggle (Male)

  • 2021 About Face, The Next Picture Show, Dixon IL

  • 2021 Nuts About Art Festival, Dixon IL

  • 2021 Farms and Barns. The Next Picture Show Dixon IL. 2nd Place.  “Rooster”.

  • 2021 Lions Tigers and Bears. KSB Medical Center, Dixon IL

  • 2022 In View. The Art Center Highland Park IL

  • 2022 Planes Trains and Automobiles,  KSB Medical

  • Center Dixon IL

  • 2022 Regional Survey of Art, Dixon IL

  • 2022 Shades of Grey, The Next Picture Show. 2nd Place, Self Portrait.

  • 2022 Solo Exhibition, One White Pencil.  NCIArtworks, Peru IL

  • 2022 The Hangar Art Co, Bloomington IL

  • 2022 Old Town Art Fair, Chicago IL

  • 2022 Birds of a Feather, KSB Medical  enter Dixon IL

  • 2022 Emerging Artists Show.  The Old Stone Gallery. Mt Morris IL

  • 2022 Exhibizone Grand Prize international online show, 4th Place

  • 2022 Solo Exhibition, One White Pencil, Quad City Arts, Rock Island IL

  • 2022-23 Solo Exhibition, One White Pencil, Crystal Cork Wine Shoppe, Dixon IL.

  • 2022 Phidian Art Show, Dixon IL.  Best of Show- Leonardo

  • 2022 Phidian Art Show, Dixon IL Peoples Choice Award

  • 2023  Solo Exhibition, One White Pencil. McLean County Art Center, Bloomington IL

  • 2023 Regional Survey of Art, The Next Picture Show, Dixon IL. Honorable Mention- 

  • 2023 Shades of Grey, The Next Picture Show, Dixon IL. Honorable Mention- Herb

  • 2023 Phidian Art Show, Dixon IL.  Best of Show- Don’t Breathe

  • 2023 Phidian Art Show, Dixon IL. People’s Choice- Don’t Breathe

  • 2023 St Charles Fine Art Show.  St Charles IL

  • 2023 The Human Form, The Next Picture Show. Honorable Mention -Sleepy John Estes.

  • 2023 Solo Exhibition, One White Pencil.. Joe Bailey Gallery at the Greater Livingston Co Arts Council. 

  • 2023 Solo Exhibition, One White Pencil.  David Strawn Gallery, Jacksonville IL

  • 2023 Maple City Fine Art Show-First Place  

  • 2024 Phidian Art Show, Dixon IL Best in Show, Oklahoma:1938

  • 2025 Moline Public Library, One White Pencil Exhibit Nov-Jan

  • 2025Quad Cities International Airport,One White Pencil July-August

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