Lori Indovina Valus has been involved with art, design and photography her whole life. As a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she has had an art teaching career of over 10 years in Chicago and McHenry County. Her graphic design and illustration work has been published for over 24 years and has won many awards from professional newspaper associations in state, national and international competitions. Lori’s wildlife illustrations have been exhibited and published in wildlife rehabilitation manuals. Her award winning fine art has been seen throughout the area in venues such as “Real People” and “Women’s Works” at the Old Courthouse Arts Center in Woodstock, IL, the Starline Gallery in Harvard, IL and the Norris Gallery in St. Charles, IL.
She is a member of the Northwest Area Arts Council, The Lake County Watercolor Guild, and Geneva Lake Arts Foundation. Lori’s nature photographs have caught the attention of the conservation community. Her photos capturing the beauty and diversity of wildlife contained in the Black Crown Marsh in McHenry are now being used to help in fund-raising efforts by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for preservation of the entire wetland basin. A photo of the Black Crown Marsh “Geese Rising with the Sun” was chosen by the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission for inclusion in an exhibit “Illinois’ Natural Treasures” in 2010.
Lori’s photos serve as resource for her fine art/watercolors. Awards: Northwest Area Arts Council, Members Show, Third Place Award, 2000 Moraine Hills Nature Photography Contest, First & Third Place Awards, 2001 Excellence Award: Bartlett, Il Festival of the Arts, 2010 Third Place Award: Prairie Crossing Art Fair,, Grayslake IL, 2010 Honorable Mention: Northland Art League, Woodstock, IL 2013 Purchase Award, Prairie Arts Festival, Schaumburg, IL 2016 Best of Show, Algonquin Art on the Fox, 2016 Honorable Mention: Norris Gallery Watercolor 2017 Photos published: Chicago Collection Magazine, 2012 Birds and Blooms Magazine, 2013 National Wildlife Federation Web Site 2013
