Gladys Nilsson, an internationally recognized Chicago artist is coming to Eastern to give a lecture on watercolor painting and to judge the Tarble Art Center’s 15th Annual Drawing/Watercolor: Illinois Biennial Exhibition.

“She’s probably one of the best known living Illinois artists,” said Michael Watts, director of the Tarble Arts Center.

Nilsson’s artistic medium is watercolor painting and drawing. Her medium makes her a good choice for juror during this year’s exhibition, said Kit Morice, curator of education for the Tarble Arts Center.

As a juror, Nilsson began looking at 237 watercolor paintings at Tarble on Monday submitted by artists from all over Illinois and chose the paintings that will be on display at the exhibition.

Her job is also to award several of the paintings. Some of the awards are merit-based, and some are purchase awards, which means the paintings are chosen to be purchased as part of the Tarble Arts Center’s permanent collection, Morice said.

Nilsson has been on the Chicago Art scene for a long time, Morice said.

“She’s highly qualified to be doing (the job),” she said.

Nilsson is a founding member of groups called the “Hairy Who” and Chicago Imagists group. These groups try to put together a common style of art in exhibitions. Their goal is “to help set Chicago apart from other cities” in the art scene, Watts said.

These groups “helped put Chicago on the map internationally, as far as art goes,” Watts said.

Nilsson will give an afternoon lecture on watercolor paintings and drawings at 2 p.m. today in the drawing studio at Art Park West on West Lincoln Ave.

The informal lecture, which will last about an hour, will feature slides of her work with watercolors.

“Generally, the artist will talk about a progression of her art,” Morice said, and Nilsson is no exception.

The exhibition starts Dec. 4, and the awards reception for the winners is at 2 p.m. on Dec. 5.