The DeKalb Gallery, 161 E. Lincoln Highway, features 24 paintings by seniors from DeKalb High School, 1515 S. Fourth St.

One painting, “Love is Pain,” by high school senior Austin Watie, pictured two couples. The first couple included a girl who looked traumatized by what was happening while the boy appeared to be yelling at the girl. The second couple, pictured below the first, showed a girl with an empathetic face and a boy who cried red tears.

“I really wanted to capture emotions of love and tragedy,” Watie said.

“Love is Pain” is on sale for $130.

Other featured paintings, such as “Irvana” by high school senior Matt Ahrens, were not for sale.

The painting showed a man looking down into his hands with his hair hanging in his face. His arm was drawn in front of his face while a rose vine wrapped itself around his arm.

“It was one of those spur-of-the-moment things where I was having a lot of feelings and I had to get it out,” Ahrens said. “I don’t think I could sell those feelings.”

The cost for each painting ranges from $40 to $130, said Amy Brown, coordinator of the event and a DHS art teacher.

Dan Gryth, the owner of the art gallery, sponsored the event.

“I only take 20 percent commission, and I give that commission to the high school for their art materials,” Gryth said. “So all the art students can also benefit from it.”

The student artist gets 80 percent of the money earned, Brown said. They also decide the price and what paintings they want to be shown in the gallery.

This is the third year that the gallery has sponsored the event.

“This is a good opportunity for the students to get exposure for their work in a real gallery,” Gryth said. “This is their way of visually depicting issues. This is their voice.”