Joliet Central’s Tayla Stallings earns recognition in 2025 Throwdown Illustration Challenge
Joliet Central High School recognized senior Tayla Stallings for earning an Honorable Mention in the competitive 2025 Throwdown Illustration Challenge, a virtual art competition that brought together 51 of the top high school illustrators from across Illinois.
Hosted over Zoom, the event challenged students with timed prompts that tested both their creativity and technical ability under pressure. Tayla’s unique vision, artistic skill, and perseverance earned her well-deserved recognition from the judging panel.
“I was honestly shocked—and happy—when I found out I had received an Honorable Mention,” said Tayla. “I based my piece on the theme we were given and imagined a ghost-like demon shifting through a drain. I wanted to create a slime-like texture within the short time we had.”
Tayla didn’t follow any specific artist for her piece but drew from the broad range of styles and creatives who have inspired her over the years. “This event definitely pushed me to improve how quickly I come up with ideas and helped me focus on finishing a piece within a short time.”
