Lake County Gazette

Coal City High School recently hosted a workshop for art students from the Illinois Central Eight Conference, focusing on the relationship between art and science. During the event, participants examined how artists have used optical devices throughout history, including tools such as the sighting grid, Dürer’s Door, and the camera lucida. Students had the opportunity to construct their own camera lucida drawing machines and experiment with different techniques for seeing and sketching.

The workshop aimed to show how technology has influenced artistic methods from the Renaissance period to today. Organizers said it was designed to help students understand how innovation shapes visual perception and creativity.

Coal City High School is part of Coal City Community Unit School District 1, which includes schools in Grundy and Will counties such as Coal City Early Childhood Center, Coal City Elementary School, Coal City Intermediate School, and Coal City Middle School. More information about these schools can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.

According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, there are 153 teachers in Coal City Community Unit School District 1 with an average salary of $69,297 before pension contributions; 77.9 percent are women while 22.1 percent are men. The district reports that no teachers have more than ten absences in a school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Demographically, the district is composed of approximately 86.9 percent White students, 0.6 percent Black students, 9.6 percent Hispanic students, and 0.6 percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In terms of spending, Coal City Community Unit School District 1 spent $21,619 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $47 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

The event highlighted ongoing efforts within the district to connect traditional art practices with scientific exploration.