Monmouth Festival of the Arts “Student Art Competition” Bayshore Courier News Posted:02/01/10
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Tinton Falls (Monmouth County, NJ) - The Monmouth Festival of the Arts celebrates a year of milestones as it held its 15th Student Art Competition on Sunday January 31, at Monmouth Reform Temple. This year marks the temple's 50th anniversary year as well as its ruby-- 40th anniversary of its signature event, the Monmouth Festival of the Arts. Sunday's art competition included nearly fifty students, who are juniors from a dozen Monmouth County high schools. The show featured various mediums including drawings in pencil, ink, and pastels, paintings in acrylic, photography, and sculpture.
Rita Sperling, who co-chaired the Student Competition with Anne Pearl remarked, "The student art competition is always a wonderful event for the student artists who have the opportunity to show their art and to view the art of other students their age from many different high schools in the area. The students also significantly benefit from the workshops. In all, it is a very positive learning experience."
Taking first place for his photo and watercolor combined artwork was Jordan Wason of Henry Hudson Regional High School for New York City Scenes. Mr. Wason is from Atlantic Highlands. Second place honors went to Leah Passafiume of Wall High School for her oil pastel entitled Fortune Cookies. Hong Yang of Red Bank Regional (RBR) won third place Words of Wisdom, a portrait of a woman drawn in marker. The outlines of the form were created by written words. Miss Yang is from Shrewsbury. The winners were awarded cash prizes.
Five honorable mentions were also awarded. The winners included: RBR student Anthony Wriston of Red Bank for his photograph entitled At the Bottom of Everything; RBR student Andrea Squassi of Shrewsbury for her chalk pastel, Woodloch Pines; Ranney student Charlotte Fleming of Rumson for her Self Portrait in graphite on paper; Olivia Caruso of Wall High School for her chalk work entitled Quiet; and Freehold High School student Erica Kawas for her acrylic Terra Cotta Bowl with Painting, Ms. Kawas is a Freehold Township resident.
The judges were all accomplished artists including: Bob Matarangelo of Avon, a multi-faceted artist working in digital video, animation, painting and sculpture and a teacher at Ocean County Community College; Patricia Hutchinson of Belmar, a Fulbright Scholar with a doctorate in Design and Technology Education; and Colleen Lineberry of Ocean Township, a fiber artist and painter and professor at Brookdale Community College.
MRT has been commended for its support of the arts and art education. In addition to the art competition, the students are offered two workshops to enhance their portfolio presentations as they prepare to enter other competitions or create submissions to colleges and art schools to further their study of the arts.
Dave McGrath of Long Branch Dave McGrath, a pen and ink artist, who has displayed at the MRT Festival of the Arts over the years, presented one of the programs to the students at the portfolio workshops. He offered the students some practical information on how to economically and attractively display their artwork and create a portfolio presentation. Demonstrating how to properly cut a mat, he explained that the mat not only enhances the look of the artwork but also serves to protect the art from touching the glass.
Lesley Vidich of Spring Lake presented a hands-on workshop reviewing the elements and principals of art so that students could create a strong composition for portfolio submissions. Ms. Vidcih taught art at the Newark Museum and at Brookdale College. She presently teaches at her own private art studio.
All the commended students received tickets to the Festival's opening gala on Saturday, April 17 and will have their work displayed at the Festival which runs through Wednesday, April 21stat the Monmouth Reform Temple. Festival activities include artist demonstrations, children's programs, and evening series art lectures. For a complete schedule of events and times, visit the website, monmouth festival of the arts or call 732-747-8278, or email to festival@monmouthfestivalofthearts.com. Daily admission to all events for Adults is $8, Seniors (65+) and Students (though high school) $5. Series ticket, $18 (Sunday-Wednesday).
The Monmouth Festival of the Arts is hosted by Monmouth Reform Temple and is made possible, in part, by the Monmouth County Arts Council through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, the County Historical Commission, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State a Partner Agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.
