Exhibition Catalogue - Long Island's Best: Young Artists at The Heckscher Museum 2017

On View: March 11 - April 9, 2017

The Museum gratefully acknowledges our Sponsors and Partners Generous support for Long Island’s Best is provided by Robin T. Hadley, Presenting Sponsor; Strong-Cuevas Foundation, Artistic Sponsor; and The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation, Patron Sponsors. Additional funding from Inna Gellerman, DDS, Gellerman Orthodontics, and RBC Wealth Management.

Thank you to the school districts, administrators, teachers, and most of all the students who have made this year’s exhibition a success. Your unwavering dedication to this annual initiative has made Long Island’s Best one of the most prestigious opportunities for young artists on Long Island.

Prizes and awards are generously provided by: Lynette Bianchi and the Bianchi Family Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Awards Frank J. Sposato, Jeffrey Sposato, and Peter F. Cohen Second Place, Judith Sposato Memorial Prize Robin T. Hadley - Third Place, The Hadley Prize Donors to the 2014 Celebrate Achievement Benefit Celebrate Achievement Best In Show Award The Law Offices of Andrew Presberg Andrew Presberg Promising Young Artist Awards Christine Machtay Donald and Gloria Horn Scholarship Award and Donald G. Horn, Jr. Scholarship Award Huntington Fine Arts Joseph Mack Achievement Awards and Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mentions The thalo.com Artist Community - Grumbacher Visitors Choice Award Vanessa Caldas-Martin, Lisa Crescenzo, Michelle Donnelly, and Caitlin Suarez Stepping Stone Award

Additional Thank Yous: Jurors: Lisa Chalif, Curator, The Heckscher Museum of Art and Cindy Grimm, Assistant Director, The Whaling Museum & Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor Julie Haring, Education Committee Member, Long Island's Best Interviewer Andreas Rentsch, Exhibition Catalogue and Opening Reception Photographer Christopher Belletti, Interview Video Editor Mitchells for supporting the next generation of Long Island artists. Select works of art from Long Island's Best 2017 will be on view April 12 - May 9 in Mitchells store windows, 270 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743.

The Heckscher Museum of Art receives generous support from the Town of Huntington.

About the EXHIBITION Young artists are capable of amazing things! This exhibition features extraordinary works of art created by high school students in public and private schools throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Now in its 21st year, Long Island's Best challenges students in grades 9 through 12 to choose a work of art on view in the Museum as inspiration for their own creative expression.

This juried exhibition provides students with the unparalleled opportunity to exhibit their artwork in the Museum and to connect with the broader Long Island community.

This year, 56 public and private schools submitted students’ artwork for jurying. 387 entries were received and Curator Lisa Chalif and guest juror Cindy Grimm selected 84 for display in the galleries.

ARTIST STATEMENTS The Museum recognizes that in order to succeed, students must not only develop their studio skills, but also learn how to effectively write and speak about their artwork. Each student has written an artist statement describing their inspiration and artistic process. An image of the Inspiration Artwork is provided to deepen visual connections. Select students were also interviewed about their experience.

DIGITAL DISPLAY New this year, in recognition of all participating students that were not selected for the exhibition, the Museum is excited to have a digital display that enables us to highlight 222 submitted works of art!

On the cover: Kamila Tlemissova, It’s A Competitive World, Oil on canvas [detail]. MacArthur High School, Art Teacher: Tom Bobal.

Finding Inspiration For Long Island’s Best 2017, students found inspiration in artwork on view in the Museum during the 2016-2017 school year. Through close observation, discussion, and hands-on activities, students learned to make connections between artwork on view and their own experiences.

Inspiration Artwork Each young artist selected a work of art in one of the following exhibitions to inspire his/her original work of art for Long Island’s Best. An image of this Inspiration Artwork is provided with the Artist Statement to deepen visual connections.

Long Island Biennial 2016 This juried exhibition featured 53 works by artists from Nassau and Suffolk Counties in a diverse range of styles, media, and subject matter.

Synapses: Threads for Thought Qin Han, Where is Home, 2015 Acrylic, cyanotype, and digital printing on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.

Synapses presents over two dozen works from the Museum’s Permanent Collection as a meandering thread of diverse connections.

Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art This exhibition from the Museum's Permanent Collection focused on windows and their symbolic and literal boundary between private and public spaces.

George Nick, Holbrook, Mass., n.d. [detail]. Heckscher Museum of Art; Gift of Mr. Michael Sherman.

Mort Künstler: The New Nation Long Island artist Mort Künstler illustrates the dramatic story of the birth of the United States, from settlement through the Revolutionary War, in his most recent work.

Norman Rockwell and Friends

Jon Whitcomb, The Telephone Call, undated [detail]. Courtesy of the Mort Künstler Collection.

This exhibition featured Mort Künstler's private collection of illustrations that appeared in popular publications in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

EXHIBITING STUDENTS Sabrina Abbamonte, Lindenhurst High School Maiya Abramson, Long Beach High School Estefanie Arrue, Hicksville High School Alex Atkinson, St. Anthony's High School Lobna Bayoumy, Division Avenue High School Sabrina Bell, Hicksville High School - Honorable Mention Quinn Blackburn, Huntington High School - Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award Alexandria Boss, Patchogue-Medford High School Daniella Bruzzone, Long Beach HS - Andrew Presberg Promising Young Artist Award Rebekah Buon, Valley Stream North High School Donna Burawa, Patchogue-Medford High School Nyssa Burton, Smithtown High School West Megan Carrasquillo, Bellport High School - Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award Alexandra Cartwright, Northport High School - Achievement Award in Watercolor Julia Caruso, Bayport-Blue Point High School - Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award Andres Colon, Deer Park High School Katie Conserva, Bellport High School Patrick Conway, Oyster Bay High School Shannon Culhane, Northport HS - SECOND PLACE, Judith Sposato Memorial Prize CatrĂ­ona DiNero, Connetquot High School Victoria Frusci, Wantagh High School Jennifer Garcia, Newfield High School Olivia Genovese, Cold Spring Harbor High School Angelo Germain-Pyram, Elmont High School Maggie Giles, Huntington High School Claire Hannon, Huntington High School - Achievement Award in Drawing Ava Herrera, Sayville High School - Joseph Mack Achievement Award Yee Ting (Edith) Ho, St. Anthony's High School Jennifer Iadevaio, Wantagh High School Lea Jaffe, Long Beach High School Leilani Kaiser, Huntington Fine Arts Gurjot Kaur, Hicksville High School - FOURTH PLACE Prize Matthew Kearney, Harborfields High School Sarah Kendric, Our Lady of Mercy Academy Katelyn Kguloian, Smithtown High School West - Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award Nurjahan Khan, Baldwin High School Anna Kim, Half Hollow Hills High School East Jan Kipper, Locust Valley High School - Donald & Gloria Horn Scholarship Award Aleyna Kokoglu, Amityville Memorial High School - Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award Emily Kolsky, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School Lindsay Kranitz, Long Beach High School Chris Kwak, Syosset High School McKayla Lankau, Harborfields High School

long island's

2017

Isabelle Lin, Manhasset High School Libia Lopez, Wyandanch High School Geraldine Luglio, Miller Place High School John Martin & Julia Varela, Smithtown Christian School Thomas Mayberry, Oceanside High School - Donald G. Horn Scholarship Award Kristen Miciotta, Long Beach High School - THIRD PLACE, The Hadley Prize Laura Minet, Smithtown High School West Alyssa Moran, Cold Spring Harbor High School Christina Mui, Valley Stream Central HS - Andrew Presberg Promising Young Artist Award Madison Murray, Long Beach High School Hersh Nagpal, Hicksville High School Lily Newman, Miller Place High School - Honorable Mention Zachary Olewnicki, East Rockaway High School Ho Jung (Grace) Park, Half Hollow Hills HS West - Achievement Award in Sculpture Emily Partridge, Wantagh High School Radhika Patel, Syosset High School Brooke Petrucci, Northport High School Israel Phillips, Elmont High School Cristina Pietromonaco, New Hyde Park Memorial High School Vanessa Pinto, W.T. Clarke High School Jemin Ren, Syosset High School Mia Restrepo, Oceanside High School - Achievement Award in Digital Photography Caitlin Roberti, Hicksville High School - Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention Sophia Santella, Huntington Fine Arts Taylor Santiago, Valley Stream South High School Nadia Sbuttoni, Manhasset High School Jacob Siegelbaum, Centereach High School - Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention and Stepping Stone Award Ms. Singer's Advanced Art Students, Huntington High School Salia Soeun-Thol, Division Avenue High School - Honorable Mention Jackie Stevens, Northport High School - Joseph Mack Achievement Award Grace Sullivan, Wantagh HS - Achievement Award in Black & White Photography Kamila Tlemissova, MacArthur High School - Achievement Award in Painting and Joseph Mack Achievement Award Chynna Tomastyk, John F. Kennedy HS - Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention Paulina Trzonkowska, West Babylon HS - Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award Ricky Vargas, Valley Stream South HS - Celebrate Achievement BEST IN SHOW Award Kimberly Vo, Hicksville High School Melissa Ward, Garden City High School - Honorable Mention Nicole Wolert, Locust Valley High School Ava Xu, Cold Spring Harbor High School - Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention WeiHsin (Julia) Yang, Valley Stream South High School Charlotte Zhang, Manhasset High School

Sabrina Abbamonte, Looking Out, Digital photograph Lindenhurst High School, Grade: 11, Art Teacher: Suzette Picozzi Alfred Emslie’s Untitled (Mother and Child at Window) captures an innocent and pure moment between a mother and child. The artist portrayed their emotions in a way that enables the viewer to understand what they are feeling, but also leaves them wondering. Emslie’s painting gave me inspiration for my own photograph. I sought to capture a moment that was simple, but leaves viewers asking themselves questions. Emslie’s work inspired me to work with natural lighting and shadows, which I thought helped to capture the emotion on my model’s face. Alfred Emslie’s painting shows how a simplistic moment can also have deep meaning.

Inspiration artwork: Alfred Emslie, Untitled (Mother and Child at Window) 1884, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Maiya Abramson

Rhythmic Layers Mixed media (acrylic, mesh, Gelli print on sheet music) Long Beach High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Joanne Harvey

Gavin Zeigler’s Bed of Roses inspired me because of the way he layered and blended different colors in a repetitious pattern. I found it interesting how he used pennies to create his work of art. I used a similar concept by incorporating unusual and non-traditional materials to create texture in my monoprint. I replicated the repetitive nature of Zeigler’s artwork with a mesh pattern and explored layered colors with an experimental color palette.

Inspiration artwork: Gavin Zeigler, Bed of Roses, 2015 Acrylic, pennies, and mixed media on wood panel From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Estefanie Arrue

Stunning Truth Silkscreen Hicksville High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Beth Atkinson My inspiration came from SAFETY LOST by Roz Dimon. In the artist’s statement Dimon says that the safety pin has the ability to be both a “tool that lovingly mends” but “once unleashed, [it] become[s] a frightening weapon.” This gives the artwork a double meaning of life and death.

This idea made me think about things that we use regularly that have a double meaning or intent. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution says, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Under the amendment, guns are meant to be utilized as a means of protection.

Unfortunately, in today’s society, guns are used without the thought of consequences; there is always a body on the other side. In some cases, while a gun is in the process of protecting, it will kill innocent people. Sometimes guns are used in anger, sometimes to assassinate, and sometimes accidentally. This is when it no longer becomes a means of protection, but a weapon of death.

Inspiration artwork: Roz Dimon, SAFETY LOST, 2015 Digital drawing, archival ink on paper From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Alex Atkinson

Abandoned Digital photograph St. Anthony’s High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Jennifer Baldwin-Schafer I was drawn to Memorial #22 by Mark Kuhn because of its linear quality and strong contrast between light and dark. I found beauty in the decay of this forgotten place and wanted to explore the same idea in my work. I was interested in where this place could have been. What was it like before it became so dilapidated? What was its history? I recently traveled to Buffalo, New York, and drove along the waterfront where I spotted “Silo City.” The area is filled with old abandoned silos, warehouses, and buildings. I was interested in the history of this place and why it became deserted. I could see remnants of what may have been manufactured there—broken machinery, stairways to nowhere. As I wandered through the grounds, I saw beauty in the decay, reminding me of Mark Kuhn’s work. It had the same eerie feeling but also a beauty of its own. I explored many of the buildings, and I shot a number of different compositions. I felt a connection between my final photograph and Memorial #22 for their similar elements of contrast and line.

Inspiration artwork: Mark Kuhn, Memorial #22, 1986 Poster paint and grease pencils From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Lobna Bayoumy, An American Eclipse, Oil on canvas Division Avenue High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Tim Ryan My painting was inspired by George Grosz’s Eclipse of the Sun, which shows the corruption in the German government in 1926. What drew me to this artwork was its message of corruption, greed, and ignorance. Although this painting was made when Nazism was on the rise, the ideas presented are still relevant to today’s society, especially with the recent Presidential election. I wanted to exhibit the thoughts of many American people and the fears they have with the controversy that surrounds the presidency. I adapted several aspects of Grosz’s painting for my artwork, such as the headless politicians depicted as headless protesters in my painting, representing how citizens of this country feel ignored. I took the idea of the leader being influenced by others by showing Putin whispering into Trump’s ear, linking to what many believe is an alliance between Russia and the United States. I changed the sun with the dollar sign into the illuminati symbol, which many believe Trump is linked to. I also incorporated American fears for the future of this nation such as the extreme control of the government and the building of a border wall.

Inspiration artwork: George Grosz, Eclipse of the Sun, 1926, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Sabrina Bell

Profondo Blu Ceramic Hicksville High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Angela Galante I was drawn to JoAnne Dumas’ triptych because it reminded me of my love for the beach, the ocean, and the feeling of sand beneath my feet. I feel Undercurrents that portrays an underlying theme of the artist’s emotions about water.

Since I work primarily in clay, I chose to create a three-dimensional clay vessel that displays my own feelings of water. I used undercuts in the clay to symbolize the undercurrents of water. My application of strategic multiple layers of glaze is used to enhance the shimmering effect and everchanging glow on the carved surface of the clay, just as the reflection of the sun has a glowing effect on the ocean in the summer.

Honorable Mention

Inspiration artwork: JoAnne Dumas, Undercurrents, 2016 Archival inks, paper, and silver dust on panel From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Quinn Blackburn

Infinity Photography and computer graphics Huntington High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Kasmira Mohanty While reading Qin Han’s statement about Where is Home, I was intrigued by the idea of where “home” really is. When thinking about our planet, I realized that Earth is but a speck compared to the infinite parallel universes that exist. Everything that can happen is going to happen, but just in a different time and place. Is home really home? Are our lives really that significant and unique? Or is there another dimension, living the same reality, but with better or worse outcomes? My piece depicts the infinite number of galaxies in the universe. These galaxies beyond our solar system are beginning to saturate our collective subconscience. There is always the chance of one person being in more than one universe at the same time.

The bubbles above the subject’s head symbolize how although there may be multiple realities occurring, we only know of one.

Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award

Inspiration artwork: Qin Han, Where is Home, 2015 Acrylic, cyanotype, and digital printing on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Alexandria Boss, Beneath the Waves, Digital photograph Patchogue-Medford High School, Grade: 11, Art Teacher: Amy Cunningham My artwork was inspired by Undercurrents by JoAnne Dumas. I appreciated the fluidity and the oceanic colors. The shine is reminiscent of waves in the sunlight, which I believe gives a cheerful, but calming tone. The texture is smooth and filled with shadows and highlights, which creates a pattern.

My photograph is a close up view of a bubble. The waves and the fluidity of the soap create a similar flow to Dumas’ piece. The vibrant colors and shimmering lights give the photograph an enchanted tone.

Inspiration artwork: JoAnne Dumas, Undercurrents, 2016 Archival inks, paper, and silver dust on panel From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Daniella Bruzzone

Human Skull Ink on paper Long Beach High School Grade: 9 Art Teacher: Eric Fox

Elephant Skull Portfolio PI. XXVII

by Henry Moore caught my eye because of its organic and natural forms. The print inspired me to explore different parts of the human skull. The fact that this print is part of a portfolio of 28 etchings based on the elephant skull motivated me to organize my piece into 12 different drawings. I created my piece by observing the skull from different perspectives and focusing on its unique qualities. Moore’s use of ink inspired me to stipple my entire piece with ink. I found this technique to be an effective way to study the skull. The anatomic structure reveals that there is more to a skull than what you see at first glance.

Andrew Presberg Promising Young Artist Award

Inspiration artwork: Henry Moore, Elephant Skull Portfolio PI. XXVII 1970, Etching on paper From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Rebekah Buon, Frame, Digital photograph Valley Stream North High School, Grade: 11, Art Teacher: Allan Nafte My piece was inspired by Summit by Victoria Pendzick. Her work links nature with the human body. Our bodies tell a story through how we carry ourselves, whether it be with confidence or uncertainty. This inspired me to compose a set of images that display the human form in a pure and uncorrupted way.

Inspiration artwork: Victoria Pendzick, Summit, 2016, Cyanotype From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Donna Burawa

Apeeling To The Masses Digital photograph Patchogue-Medford High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Amy Cunningham I wanted to emulate the same feeling that the viewer takes away from Coffee Filters I. I photographed an everyday object like Casella did because I want people to look at something that they see often from a different vantage point. I strategically placed bananas and shot them from a different perspective which adds contrast to the image and makes the features of the bananas stand out. I hope that my utilization of shape, movement, light, and color make the composition more striking and intriguing.

Inspiration artwork: Margaret M. Casella, Coffee Filters I, 2016 Photograph printed on Hahnemuhle German etching paper From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Nyssa Burton

Blotches of a Figure India ink on paper Smithtown High School West Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Steve Halem

I was inspired by Henry Moore’s etching on view in Synapses: Threads for Thought. This piece enthralled me with its simple, expressive mark-making and strong contrast. I sought to amplify the contrast and play with empty space, emphasizing the ink forms and the positive and negative spaces. I wanted my piece to have a relaxed mood, so I used fluid rounded drips.

Inspiration artwork: Henry Moore, Elephant Skull Portfolio PI. XXVII 1970, Etching on paper From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Megan Carrasquillo

Verano Amarillo Copper wire Bellport High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Lisa Conk I felt a connection to Weil’s artwork through her medium, purpose, and technique. I repeatedly returned to this piece during my visit to the Museum, trying to determine why it resonated deeply within me.

I made the connection weeks later, when I realized it was the way an intricate setting beautifully embraced its simple, dazzling subject. It reminded me of the complex, wire-wrapped necklaces I enjoy creating. Weil’s piece inspired me to construct the most elaborate necklace I have made in all my years as a self-taught jewelry artist. I incorporated techniques I have used in my previous designs as well as new ones which I had the pleasure of attempting for the first time with this piece.

The citrine stone in the necklace has a similar glow to the cast glass in Weil’s sculpture, and the copper setting and handmade chain reflect the same metal woven into Weil’s design. With warm accent stones, selective soldering to enhance durability, and over 75 separate copper pieces used, this necklace encompasses my dedicated spirit and my aspiration to overcome any limits I set for myself.

Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award

Inspiration artwork: Marianne Weil, Between Wind and Water, 2015 Cast bronze, cast glass, and copper on a welded stand From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Alexandra Cartwright

Pearl Gouache Northport High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Margaret Minardi My piece was inspired

by Margaret Minardi’s Grackle, which features birds and juxtaposes realism and surrealism. The subject of my painting Pearl exhibits a case of albinism, which is very rare. This bird is the only apparent survivor of some unknown plight.

My artwork shows a resurrection of hope and life, as the delicate raven is all that remains within the darkness of an indescribable wasteland. The blue eye shows intelligence and composure, contributing to the feeling of equilibrium and fortitude. The bird shows strength and endurance, having the ability to withstand any circumstances, which I feel is important to understand and remember in real life. Pearl conveys that even in the darkest of times, light can still prevail and overpower any hardship.

Achievement Award in Watercolor

Inspiration artwork: Margaret Minardi, Grackle, 2016, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Julia Caruso, Undressed, Ballpoint pen Bayport-Blue Point High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Frank Salino I was drawn to Flagg’s work for its unique style. I found the technique of using parallel lines closely together to shade intriguing, and I wanted to try to use a similar method in my work. While looking at Flagg’s [New Year’s Eve Party], I see empowered and feminine young women during an era in which women were starting to break out of the mold. The women are wearing sleeveless, lace garments, which was daring at the time, but also seen as the epitome of the modern woman. I believe this is a good message for people of any era. As for me, I am still struggling with how I express my own femininity. For the subject matter of my work, I struggled with the idea of femininity and how to portray it. I decided that a clear way was with my undergarments. I will forever take the 1920s women as inspiration to break out of my mold and express my femininity further than with just my underwear.

Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award Inspiration artwork: James Montgomery Flagg, [New Year’s Eve Party] Undated, Pen and ink on paper From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Andres Colon

Conquer Digital photograph Deer Park High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Derek Mainhart I believe that chaos is the turning point before peace. To be at peace with yourself, you must battle yourself first. I was inspired by Matthew Spender’s Tramores. I feel that the vast array of colors and shapes in Tramores display a destructive sense of chaos so beautifully that a vision of peace peers out.

Similiarly, my work captures the commotion of everyday life. Each picture forms a single pathway, showing that after chaos there is peace.

Inspiration artwork: Matthew Spender, Tramores, 1977, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Katie Conserva

Lily Digital photograph Bellport High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Suzette Fandale Alfred Emslie’s painting caught my attention because I am inspired by the bond of a mother and daughter. A bond between a parent and child is truly unbreakable.

I love this painting for its level of detail in the faces and background.

I connect to this subject because I am lucky to have an amazing bond with my parents. When I was young, I would always wait by the door or look out the window waiting for my father to come home. I loved hearing about his day and how he would make me laugh, but mostly I loved my family being together.

Inspiration artwork: Alfred Emslie, Untitled (Mother and Child at Window) 1884, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Patrick Conway, Fish in a Barrel, Mixed media (Cray-pas, ink, and watercolor) Oyster Bay High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Scott Boris When visiting The Heckscher Museum, I was inspired by Grosz’s masterpiece Eclipse of the Sun, which reflected upon the corruption of Germany’s government during the 1920’s, foreshadowing the rise of Germany in the following years. While our situation is not nearly as severe today in the United States, I thought it would be interesting to take the corruption from that time and place and relate it to corruption in modern day. The recent arrests of local officials, Ed Mangano and John Venditto, on federal corruption charges regarding bribery and kickbacks led me to create my piece. The people of Germany in Grosz’s time were cheated when money and power prevailed, paralleling events in our local town and country. This is why I imitated the eclipse in Grosz’s piece. The fish heads on the left side of my piece echo the saying “A fish rots from the head down,” reminding us that any minuscule foul-play at street-level is nothing in comparison to the extortion and fraud higher levels. The people in my piece have no eyes, representing Mangano’s and Venditto’s abuse of their positions, hoping the public would be as blind to their actions as they were to common decency.

Inspiration artwork: George Grosz, Eclipse of the Sun, 1926, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Shannon Culhane, Release, Acrylic, Northport High School, Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Margaret Minardi I took my inspiration from Lawrence Schloss’ wood sculpture ANXIETY. My goal was to convey the fluid, raw emotion within the carved wood through human expression in my painting. The title ANXIETY was an inspiration to me. Stress is something I battle with personally. It tends to build up and up until holding the negative emotions inside is too much, and it explodes to the surface. I wanted to convey that feeling in my painting, drawing ideas from the sculpture’s shape and trying to interpret it with the hair.

I attempted to capture the dark pigment of the wood by utilizing a dark palette. The background represents a storm and pent up emotions that are forcefully released.

SECOND PLACE, JUDITH SPOSATO MEMORIAL PRIZE

Inspiration artwork: Lawrence Schloss, ANXIETY, 2016, Solid wood From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

CatrĂ­ona DiNero, Holbrook Mess, Ink and watercolor Connetquot High School, Grade: 11, Art Teacher: John Hargrave When visiting The Heckscher Museum of Art, I was inspired by Holbrook, Mass. by George Nick in the exhibition Looking Out, Looking In. The artist took a mathematical approach to his subject and painted from a street view to ensure the perspective would be exact. In my artwork, I also drew a building, but in contrast, I used one blind continuous line with muddled ink smudges to show that art created to be imperfect is still just as beautiful as art that is precise.

Inspiration artwork: George Nick, Holbrook, Mass., Undated Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Victoria Frusci

Hidden Figures Archival pigment print Wantagh High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Patricia Beary I was inspired by the figures in Qin Han’s Where is Home. Her piece shows silhouettes of people seemingly lost in their environment. Although the media of our works of art are different, the figures play an important role in both. In Han’s work, the figures float in a spiral, without a direction, while the figures in my work are on a journey.

Inspiration artwork: Qin Han, Where is Home, 2015 Acrylic, cyanotype, and digital printing on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Jennifer Garcia, Titled, Oil on canvas Newfield High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Sal Berretta I was inspired by Wayne Gonzales’ piece Untitled. I decided to base my painting on the idea of reflection. No two people view a piece identically; I wanted to build on that concept and play with the ways things change depending on perspective. I wanted to create the illusion of mental closeness with physical closeness. In the same way that one might feel close to a piece mentally, but in reality will never be able to reach through the glass and graze the paint strokes.

Inspiration artwork: Wayne Gonzales, Untitled (Pool Table Abstraction) 1998, Gouache on paper From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Olivia Genovese

La Basílica Digital photograph Cold Spring Harbor High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Christine Oswald Gerry Giliberti’s Zabriskie Point, Death Valley served as inspiration for my photograph of Quito, Ecuador. Giliberti’s photograph has complex patterns that split the piece horizontally and it challenges the eye to decipher the image as a whole. Like Giliberti’s photograph, the background of my artwork has movement within the clouds that is cut by rigid patterns in the mid-ground. The patterns in the bottom half of Giliberti’s print create a natural, but barren environment. In contrast, my photograph of Quito shows a city that is bustling with life. By printing the image on mylar, I added an even more industrial feel to the image.

Inspiration artwork: Gerry Giliberti, Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, 2014, Archival pigment print From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Angelo Germain-Pyram

Wanderlust Digital photograph Elmont High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Katrin Marino Adventurous by nature, growing up in the suburbs has been very hard for me. My spirit is muted by the suburbs because my heart belongs in the city.

I was inspired by Berenice Abbott’s photograph of New York City Parafoti and its graphic simplicity of text in front of buildings. My work represents my shattered dreams, as well as my desire to travel.

Inspiration artwork: Berenice Abbott, Parafoti, 1936 (printed 1982) Gelatin silver print From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Maggie Giles

Nasty Woman Acrylic paint, gel transfer Huntington High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Kristin Singer My inspiration was Roz Dimon’s SAFETY LOST. The style of this work of art immediately caught my attention. So much thought and time was put into each stroke making Dimon’s piece over 100 layers deep in Photoshop. Conceptually, her idea resonated with me long after my visit to The Heckscher Museum. What seems to be an insignificant household item is actually a dangerous weapon. For days this concept sat with me, and led me to think of double meanings that I had not thought of before. After the chaos of this past election, I saw that even the word “idea” can have both a positive connotation and a negative one. My depiction of an exploding lightbulb shows a household item that can be dangerous, but it is also seen as the universal symbol for ideas. Words alone can be positive or negative, depending on how they are interpreted. Transferring a collection of tweets made by President Donald Trump into the background of my artwork, my goal was to solidify the message that not all ideas are good ideas, and to also emphasize the significant impact of our words.

Inspiration artwork: Roz Dimon, SAFETY LOST 2015, Digital drawing, archival ink on paper From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Claire Hannon

Enteroctopus Pen Huntington High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Kristin Singer I was inspired by the sense of movement and use of detail in Frederic Remington’s The Bronco Buster.

The dynamic composition of a cowboy on a bucking horse inspired me to create a piece showing a creature in motion. I chose to draw an octopus because its movements are incredibly bold and fluid. The way Remington sculpted the detail of each muscle in the bronco and the folds in the cowboy’s clothing challenged me to create a piece with a similar attention to detail. Fine-tipped pens enabled me to capture subtle details including each bump and spike on the octopus’ skin.

Achievement Award in Drawing

Inspiration artwork: Frederic Remington, The Bronco Buster, 1909, Bronze From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Ava Herrera

Mother Earth’s Expiring Resilience Mixed media Sayville High School Grade: 10 Art Teacher: Jennifer Berotti I was intrigued by Phillip Gladkov’s use of form and raw garbage to depict a striking message about the extinction of different species and the deterioration of the natural world. I have designed a dress that is my interpretation of his piece coming to life as Mother Earth. She is a strong, beautiful woman who lives in modern times. However, these modern times have brought her pain and suffering. She is being suffocated by the black oil around her neck and dripping down her dress.

The pollution is also represented by the garbage that collects at her feet.

The horrors that she faces are all around us, even at Halesite Park on the Huntington Harbor, where I hand selected the pieces of garbage I included in the dress. I hope to raise awareness for the prevention of pollution in our environment with my work.

Joseph Mack Achievement Award

Inspiration artwork: Phillip Gladkov, #6, 2016, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Yee Ting (Edith) Ho

Heart of Earth Ink and pencil St. Anthony’s High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Jennifer Baldwin-Schafer It’s 2017 and humans are inventing hightech robots to enhance our lifestyle, but it seems like nobody invents any machines to enhance our dying habitat.

My drawing with ink and pencil examines our treatment of the earth. In order to acquire money, beauty, or fame, humans have chopped down countless trees, overused plastics, and killed endangered species. My goal is to show air, water, and sound pollution in our environment to warn mankind about their cruel deeds. I was inspired by Lisa Federici’s Quilted Heart. The heart in my drawing represents the life of earth and how it is affected by our actions. My hope is to inspire viewers to take action and save our environment.

Inspiration artwork: Lisa Federici, Quilted Heart, 2015 Recycled sari ribbons and thread From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Jennifer Iadevaio

Defacement Colored pencil Wantagh High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: AmySue McPartlan

I was inspired by George Nick’s painting to create a drawing that shows the decay of vandalized urban neighborhoods in the New York metropolitan area. Although perfection and imperfection are opposites, they both express beauty in their own unique way.

Inspiration artwork: George Nick, Holbrook, Mass., undated, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Lea Jaffe

Ink Blot Digital photograph Long Beach High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Sue Presberg When I first saw Jennings’ painting Storm Series V I was reminded of an ink blot in a Rorschach test. I thought that it would be interesting to play with ink in some way and let it organically tell its own story. I liked the fluidity of Jennings’ painting and how she paints from memory. In my work, I thought that the ink could capture a similar feeling as Storm Series V because Rorschach tests rely on memories and inferences. The ink moving through the water in my photograph creates a variety of tones and shapes that are similar to the tonal variety in the clouds of Jennings’ painting.

Inspiration artwork: Janet Jennings, Storm Series V 2015, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Leilani Kaiser

Cool Drink on a Hot Day Pastel on paper Huntington Fine Arts Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Lenore Hanson Courtney Young’s use of pastel to create a hyper-realistic image with a bright palette and such close attention to detail is an artistic and technical achievement. As an artist who is somewhat new to pastels, Young’s technique in this piece is something I strive to achieve in my own work. I chose to draw tropical leaves under water because I loved how the bright hues of the leaves started to swirl and blur as water passed through them.

I attempted to recreate this effect by blending the pastels. While working on my art, I found that drawing the leaves that were not under water was straightforward. However, drawing those that had water streaming over them proved to be a difficult, yet fun, challenge for me.

Inspiration artwork: Courtney Young, Breakfast for Dinner 2015, Soft pastel From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Gurjot Kaur

Fragility Mixed media Hicksville High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Craig Mateyunas I was inspired by Lisa Federici’s Quilted Heart. The human heart is enigmatic and indefinable. For scientists, it’s the vital organ tied to our existence, and for others, it’s the key to our emotions. For me, it is our link to the soul. It is kept together by spiral and circular networks of veins, capillaries, and arteries. I decided to portray the heart’s anatomy with strings and wire to convey its fragility. In life there are adversities that pull on our heartstrings and undo them, breaking the heart’s delicate frame. The looseness of the strings in my artwork juxtaposes its tight structure, and the wire represents the spontaneous twists and turns in life. I illuminated the heart from the back to signify the optimism that radiates internally, which allows us to navigate through life’s darkness. Using watercolors, I varied the intensity of the colors, giving each vein parts that are light and colorful and parts that are deep and dark, representing the harsh issues we face in our journey. Fragility holds significant meaning that reflects my philosophy on life.

FOURTH PLACE PRIZE

Inspiration artwork: Lisa Federici, Quilted Heart, 2015 Recycled sari ribbons and thread From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Matthew Kearney, The Golden Tower, Photograph Harborfields High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Eileen Shields Arthur Dove’s painting Indian Summer stood out to me immediately when visiting the Museum. I am not ordinarily drawn to abstract work, but once I saw this piece it stayed in the back of my mind. While visiting the city, I saw something that reminded me of Dove’s painting. The overwhelming gold color caught my attention first. From where I stood, the loud, colorful scene was flattened because of my perspective. The two people reminded me of the two figures I saw in Dove’s work, and the escalator descending reminded me of the movement captured in the painting. I hope that in this photograph I, like Dove, have successfully abstracted my reality.

Inspiration artwork: Arthur G. Dove, Indian Summer 1941, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Sarah Kendric

Modern Woman Standing With Man at Party Collage Our Lady of Mercy Academy Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Jody Spadaro I was drawn to Woman Standing With Man at Party by Henry Patrick Raleigh because the subject matter is relevant to modern conversations about the role of women in society in relation to men.

Males generally exhibit dominance over women in social situations, leaving them to listen politely and withhold their own opinions. Raleigh illustrated an example of a man speaking to a woman at a party. The man’s apparent superiority is shown through his body language: his chest is puffed out and his head is raised. I was intrigued by the facial expression of the woman in the artwork because Raleigh clearly conveys her boredom. In order to further explore her thoughts, I chose to depict the headspace of both of my subjects. I filled the woman’s head with her immediate thoughts and long-term aspirations, giving viewers more insight into her personality and character. I chose to leave the male’s headspace as a solid color to represent his aloofness and to show how mundane the conversation.

Inspiration artwork: Henry Patrick Raleigh, Woman Standing With Man at Party, undated, charcoal and wash From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Katelyn Kguloian

Tuba Abstraction ContĂŠ crayon on paper Smithtown High School West Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Steve Halem I took inspiration from Monks Hood

by Robert L. Chapman to create my drawing of a tuba.

Instead of recreating a concrete object, Chapman dealt with his subject matter in an abstract way. This inspired me to focus more on the function of the tuba— to create sound.

Sound is essentially an auditory rhythm and pattern. Much like Chapman, I wanted to make an abstraction, but I also wanted parts to be recognizable such as the valves and the bell. Since music is not visible and can only be appreciated by the ears, my goal was to make it possible to enjoy the tuba visually.

Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award

Inspiration artwork: Robert L. Chapman, Monks Hood, 1995 Pastel on paper From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Nurjahan Khan, Bleached, Watercolor and gouache Baldwin High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Michelle Liemer-Kelly My artwork was inspired by Janet Culbertson’s painting Buy. Her painting relates to her personal feelings towards environmentalism and the consequences of our actions on our planet. In her words, her painting is part of a series that serves to “remind us that we all consume and discard with great cost to our fragile earth.� As human beings, we are very fortunate to have a planet that can sustain us and match our complex needs. Therefore, I believe that we have an obligation to protect it and preserve it to the best of our ability; we must be able to mutually take from the Earth and give back to it. The artwork I have created incorporates similar themes of the human footprint on the environment and how our choices impact more than just the human race, but the world we live in and share with other organisms.

Inspiration artwork: Janet Culbertson, Buy, 2014, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Anna Kim

Goddess of Light Digital color print Half Hollow Hills High School East Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Allyson Uttendorfer For my photograph Goddess of Light I was inspired by Margaret M. Casella’s Coffee Filters I. I appreciate the structural element of her work. I decided to experiment with colors and light. First, I created a mold of my own face. Then, I placed the mold into a bucket of water and placed coffee filters around it. Next, I took dye and dropped different colors into the water. I used a window and a flashlight as my two sources of light. My final piece leaves viewers to think and question the mysteries behind a photograph.

Inspiration artwork: Margaret M. Casella, Coffee Filters I, 2016 Photograph printed on Hahnemuhle German etching paper From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Jan Kipper

Beautiful Growth in a Lonely Forest Watercolor Locust Valley High School Grade: 10 Art Teacher: Thomas Camilleri

Swedish Mother with Children by John Gannam reminded me of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan. In Japanese culture, cherry blossoms symbolize the fragility and beauty of life.

Trees in Asian culture symbolize physical and spiritual nourishment, transformation, liberation, sustenance, union, and fertility. I developed a technique with varying degrees of control that reinforced the idea of beauty and fragility. The lack of control in this technique introduced the concept of chance and fragility by not having a predetermined notion of what the painting would look like. I decided to represent a tree with its roots exposed to suggest the anchor of life and our connection to the earth. I used multiple colors to suggest blossoming, which represents rebirth. I believe the tree symbolizes peace, beauty, chance, and fragility.

Donald and Gloria Horn Scholarship Award

Inspiration artwork: John Gannam, Swedish Mother with Children October 1959, Oil on board From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Aleyna Kokoglu

Elegance Nails and thread Amityville Memorial High School Grade: 10 Art Teacher: Jayne Grasso I was drawn to the oil painting entitled A Man for Cousin Emily by Dean Cornwell. I was intrigued by the creation of emotion through a simple, yet graceful image. I feel that the artist meant to capture the beauty of a woman through her body language. Emily is portrayed as elegant and classy. In my artwork, I also strived to capture the grace of a woman. Cornwell showed his subject from a three-quarter-view, so I decided to create a side profile.

I chose to draw Joan Leslie, an actress during the Hollywood Golden Age, who starred in dramas, comedies, westerns, and musicals. Leslie has been described as having a “sweet innocence without seeming too sugary.” I see her as the epitome of elegance. For my artwork, I also decided to challenge myself and use nails and thread to create string art. My piece Elegance is named after this amazing woman and I challenge you to see her beauty through my eyes.

Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award

Inspiration artwork: Dean Cornwell, A Man for Cousin Emily, illustration for “A Man for Cousin Emily” by Augusta Tucker, American Magazine, June 1942 [detail], Oil on illustration board From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Emily Kolsky

Free Colored pencil Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Jen Beinlich I based my drawing on Jennifer Drucker’s On the Verge.

In this painting there is a girl walking into the distance. The distance ahead of the girl is blurry, which could represent how she does not know what is going to happen in the future, but she keeps moving forward. This sense of hope inspired me to draw my friend moving forward into the distance with a clear path ahead.

I used colored pencils to bring out the vibrant colors and details. I titled my piece Free because it displays a feeling that all things are possible.

Inspiration artwork: Jennifer Drucker, On the Verge, 2016, Encaustic on giclee From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Lindsay Kranitz

The Perspective of a Window Photograph Long Beach High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Sue Presberg While examining N. Jay Jaffee’s photograph, I was inspired by his use of framing.

The window conceals the subject inside, making it a mystery as to what is beyond the border. I took a photograph of a window that frames the inside of a house. It looks as though the house is abandoned because it appears empty and the screen is ripped. However, if I were to take a picture through another window, you would see an entirely different scene and the house would not appear to be abandoned. Windows make our eyes focus on only one subject, but photography is all about perspective.

Inspiration artwork: N. Jay Jaffee, Woman and Girl in IRT Train 1951, Silenium-toned gelatin silver print From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Chris Kwak, Total Depravity, Mixed media (ink, pen, black colored pencil, Sharpie, watercolor) Syosset High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Chrysoula Highland My work depicts the moment when one realizes how insignificant they are in the vast abstract reality of our world. Inspired by Gerry Giliberti’s Death Valley, I used textured mountains and skies to explore the spirituality of life. I incorporated a screaming head in the center to emphasize a mood of frustration. Like Giliberti, I used mixed media to capture movement in the sky, which serves as a metaphor for the chaotic nature of life. The jagged edges of the mountains represent the harshness of reality. I wanted to shine a light on how hopeless situations give meaning to our lives.

Inspiration artwork: Gerry Giliberti, Death Valley, 2014 Archival pigment print From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

McKayla Lankau, You Are Safe, Mixed media (safety pins, beads, metal scraps, spray paint on canvas) Harborfields High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Eileen Shields I was immediately drawn to SAFETY LOST by Roz Dimon because of the message that safety pins have conveyed in recent global events. They are often overlooked as a common household object, but in her work, Dimon makes a great point about safety pins’ versatility. The same tool used to fasten a baby’s diaper can be used to prick, puncture, and stab. While they can be extremely useful, they can also be dangerous. I learned this the hard way while assembling my piece. The multifaceted purpose of safety pins can be compared to controversial global issues such as Brexit and the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Although the events that sparked the use of this symbol were political, wearing a safety pin is a humanitarian statement. My goal was to create a piece that captures the disarray of emotion and hostility in the world at this time. I arranged metal scraps in the shape of a storm cloud, raining havoc on us all. Some pins are closed, and some are left open to represent the contrast between the love and fear that affects us all. I will stand with anyone who feels discriminated against because of these events, and I want them to know that they are safe.

Inspiration artwork: Roz Dimon, SAFETY LOST, 2015, Digital drawing, archival ink on paper From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Isabelle Lin, Four Women 2017, Colored pencil on paper Manhasset High School, Grade: 10, Art Teacher: Michael Sansone James Montgomery Flagg’s pen and ink drawing Four Women inspired me to create what I believe is a contemporary version of the same subject.

Flagg often created illustrations of fashionable and what was considered to be “ideal” women. In his drawing Four Women, each of the ladies looks more or less the same—Caucasian, dressed very much alike, and lacking any sense of individuality. In my contemporary version of the subject, the women represent a variety of ethnicities and cultures. They are individuals and their clothes, as well as hairstyles, represent the diversity that now exists in American culture.

Inspiration artwork: James Montgomery Flagg, [Four Women] undated, Pen and ink on paper From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Libia Lopez

Central Park Photograph Wyandanch High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Jill Lewis

I was inspired by N. Jay Jaffee’s photograph depicting a black and white scene of New York City. I was in the city with my family from Central America when two buildings caught my eye. I took this photograph to emulate Jaffee’s Manhattan cityscapes.

Inspiration artwork: N. Jay Jaffee, Barbershop, Soho Night 1972, Gelatin silver print From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Geraldine Luglio

Strength and Courage Colored pencil Miller Place High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Jeff Corbett In my drawing inspired by Lawrence Aarons’ Defense of the Species-Deer/ Kendo Mask, I chose to focus on the people who are being affected by our harmful practices of damaging natural land for profit. I wanted to portray those most in tune with nature, who have strength and courage in their resilient fight against those who will not hear them. With a somber, gray mood and barren trees, my piece challenges perspective and implies a need to consider the implications of harmful actions from other points of view. The figure’s upturned face and stout expression represents a mask of protection not unlike Aarons’ caged skull.

Inspiration artwork: Lawrence Aarons, Defense of the Species-Deer/Kendo Mask 2015, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

John Martin & Julia Varela

Take Me Out...

Mixed media Smithtown Christian School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: James Roselle We were intrigued by The Last Thread for its nostalgic look and use of mixed media. Our art teacher brought in an old radio and it inspired us to create a sculpture with the theme of days gone by. We searched for a quote to base our design on and stumbled upon the quote by President Ford, “I’ve watched a lot of baseball on the radio.” We thought it would be the perfect subject for our piece. After all, baseball is America’s pastime.

Inspiration artwork: Beth Atkinson, The Last Thread, 2015 Etching/monoprint with mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Thomas Mayberry

Fjordview Mixed media (pen and ink, pigment markers, watercolor, and acrylic on cartridge and watercolor paper) Oceanside High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Kristin Gemino

Helen Miranda Wilson’s painting Interior Kitchen captures the essence of loneliness in a striking yet simple way with its use of contrast and depth.

The figure in her work is left in the dark and juxtaposed against the bright light coming through the window. This made me think of how one can easily feel alone and cast aside in a world of people who are busy pursuing their own lives. I was inspired to portray this contrast in my piece by building a window that frames a view looking across a body of water to the streets and homes of others in the distance. This represents a disconnect from the lives of others. Wilson creates a sense of depth in her painting by placing objects at different distances in the foreground and background. I was inspired to do the same, but in a more literal way. I placed different parts of my landscape at different positions in front of one another in my piece to give it a sense of depth, furthering the physical divide between the viewer and the lives of those on the other side of the fjord.

Donald G. Horn, Jr. Scholarship Award

Inspiration artwork: Helen Miranda Wilson, Interior Kitchen, 1980 Oil on Anco panel From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Kristen Miciotta, Sanguine, Pen on paper Long Beach High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Eric Fox I was immediately drawn to Margaret Minardi’s Grackle. My eye was attracted to the textural details on the skin and drawings and the red thread that moves through the piece. The artist’s statement informed me that the red thread symbolized the connection of man to nature. This idea resonated with me and I wanted to convey it in my drawing. To represent the interconnectedness of living things, I included biological structures, including cells, muscle, bones, DNA, and images of various human features and animals. I also wanted to include a tribute to Minardi’s red thread by integrating the color into the small details which build up into one cohesive composition, similarly to how the red thread connects separate elements in Grackle.

THIRD PLACE, THE HADLEY PRIZE

Inspiration artwork: Margaret Minardi, Grackle, 2016, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Laura Minet

Machine Woman Colored pencil on illustration board Smithtown High School West Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Steve Halem I was inspired by the mastery of the line work in Joseph Clement Coll’s drawing Two Men Fighting. Known for his vivid imagination and technical skill, Coll crafted a work of art that utilizes line to build up a range of values. I aimed to create a piece that also used tonal gradation. I enjoy using a wide variety of colors and wanted to incorporate them in my piece. Moreover, I aimed to emulate the artist’s vivid imagination by creating an interesting figure. Coll’s expressive figures inspired me to give my figure a dramatic pose. I also included gears and old-fashioned elements of machinery to further the drama.

Inspiration artwork: Joseph Clement Coll, Two Men Fighting,1917, Pen and ink From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Alyssa Moran, The White Cloud, Digital photograph Cold Spring Harbor High School, Grade: 9, Art Teacher: Christine Oswald Margaret M. Casella’s photograph Coffee Filters I contains a very simple, everyday object. I wanted to incorporate the black and white of Casella’s piece in my photograph, while also utilizing the shape and texture of her image. The coffee filters reminded me of a fluffy cloud. My goal for my piece was to also create a work of art about a simple, often overlooked, object.

Inspiration artwork: Margaret M. Casella, Coffee Filters I, 2016 Photograph printed on Hahnemuhle German etching paper From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Christina Mui, The Mahjong Players, Colored pencil Valley Stream Central High School, Grade: 10, Art Teacher: Mario Bakalov I was really taken by The Card Players by Adolphe Alexander Lesrel because it reminded me of playing mahjong with my family during the holidays.

Mahjong is similar to the card game Rummy, except it is played with tiles and is usually played by four people. It is a tradition in my family that I play with my cousin, aunt, and grandma. It connects me to my family and it connects me to my culture. I wanted to create a piece that commemorates that activity, so I decided to create an updated, more personal version of The Card Players using colored pencils. I wanted to represent multiple generations of women in my family and to show the game from my perspective.

Andrew Presberg Promising Young Artist Award

Inspiration artwork: Adolphe Alexander Lesrel, The Card Players 1878, Oil on wood panel From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Madison Murray, Security Blanket, Digital photograph Long Beach High School, Grade: 10, Art Teacher: Sue Presberg Qin Han’s work has a very interesting point of view that I found personally relatable. I was inspired to capture a photograph that was as emotional as Qin Han’s work. Han used water to show anxiety, but I wanted to show how the sea can be a calming source of therapy to some individuals. While on vacation in Rincon, Puerto Rico, I swam to the bottom of the ocean as my sister floated on the surface. The water and sun blended together making the photograph resemble Where is Home. I named my photograph Security Blanket because I feel that the ocean represents positivity and can give the viewer a tranquil sensation.

Inspiration artwork: Qin Han, Where is Home, 2015 Acrylic, cyanotype, and digital printing on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Hersh Nagpal

Blissful Adversity Digital photograph Hicksville High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Beth Atkinson In his painting Overlook, Jim Byrne used an abstract style to create a sense of disconnection from one’s environment and the transience of passionate emotions. A detail that stood out to me was the woman’s face because I felt that it didn’t quite “fit” the rest of her body, and it looked lost. I sought to recreate this idea of a mind disconnected from its surroundings due to a sudden outburst of emotion. I was inspired by the subject’s expression in Overlook — lost, confused, and perhaps a bit hysterical. Byrne’s painting has vibrant colors, whereas I chose sharper and more feverish tones. Increasing the contrast and reducing the color variance of my photograph allowed the piece to take on the form of a memory. I placed emphasis on the more memorable aspects of the surroundings, while I blurred or made other parts completely unintelligible. My goal was to express the experience of recalling several memories haphazardly strung together.

Inspiration artwork: Jim Byrne, Overlook, 2015, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Lily Newman

Migraine Mixed media Miller Place High School Grade: 10 Art Teacher: Julia Vogelle I derived my inspiration from Lawrence Schloss’ sculpture ANXIETY. His use of color, abstract form, and texture as a way of communicating a feeling is what compelled me to create my piece Migraine. I experience frequent migraines and felt that this was an affliction I should illustrate. While observing Schloss’ sculpture, I felt the unsettling emotion he sought to reflect in his piece. His intriguing work is very dark in color, with a contorted shape, and rough edges evoking the emotion of anxiety. With this concept, I symbolized a condition in my art by created a collage of symptoms associated with migraines. Sensitivity to light, throbbing headaches, impaired speech/communication, aura obstructed vision, and numbness are the manifestations I chose to highlight as these are the ones I have dealt with myself. I used a variety of shades, color, and three-dimensional abstractions to show the multiple effects this condition can have on an individual.

Honorable Mention

Inspiration artwork: Lawrence Schloss, ANXIETY, 2016, Solid wood From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Zachary Olewnicki, Broken Bones, Photograph East Rockaway High School, Grade: 11, Art Teacher: Kelly Cabasso I selected Pendzick’s piece as my inspiration because her artwork showcases a strong, structured figure. This inspired me to explore the various physical and spiritual relationships between the human body and the world. I feel that Pendzick’s work represents how we are “blueprints” of everything around us. My piece conveys how our fears can cause us to emotionally withdraw from society, while physically collapsing into ourselves. When confronted with the unknown, we as humans instinctively grab hold of what we can depend on most, before being consumed by the darkness— ourselves.

Inspiration artwork: Victoria Pendzick, Summit, 2016, Cyanotype From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Ho Jung (Grace) Park, The Heart of Enchantment, Mixed media Half Hollow Hills High School West, Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Jeannette Nourry I was immediately inspired by the enchanting features of Asia Lee’s artwork. The shadows of the trees and the shape of the branches create a mysterious and lively effect. I wanted to recreate this mystical effect by portraying the center of the tree as if it were a living being. For my artwork, I wanted to symbolize the inner workings of a living system. The forest acts as a system where there are living animals and creatures within. I have placed a ceramic heart in the center of the tree to symbolize the life that exists within the forest. The system within the forest provides itself with the necessities of life, as does the respiratory system in our bodies.

Achievement Award in Sculpture

Inspiration artwork: Asia Lee, Fallen Shadow, 2014 Museum quality C-print on plexi From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Emily Partridge, Scratching the Surface, Archival pigment print Wantagh High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Patricia Beary My photograph Scratching the Surface was inspired by Jeff Muhs’ Charting Totality. Both my artwork and Muhs’ have a similar texture and they both appear to have a hidden image beneath the top layer. Muhs’ piece has color on the top and black and white beneath; my piece has color beneath and more muted colors on top. This creates the illusion that someone is scratching away at the top layer to get to the image below.

Inspiration artwork: Jeff Muhs, Charting Totality, 2016, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Radhika Patel

Savita Graphite pencil Syosset High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Demi Protonentis I chose Jon Whitcomb’s The Telephone Call as my inspiration because it captures the elegance and beauty of girlhood. This painting embodies vibrant colors that reflect the positive energy of youth. I wanted to capture aging and nostalgia in contrast to the youth of Whitcomb’s subject. I believe history is reflected in the eyes of the elderly, sharing a glimpse of all the experiences and moments that define them as an individual. As time moves forward, the inevitable progression of aging calls upon wistful reminiscence to bring back the rejuvenating feeling of younger days.

Inspiration artwork: Jon Whitcomb, The Telephone Call undated, Opaque watercolor on board From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Brooke Petrucci

Deep Under Digital photograph Northport High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Margaret Minardi As I looked at Qin Han’s piece Where Is Home, I saw how the figures looked lost, swimming to find a path. I wanted to incorporate these feelings in my own work, so I could tell the world that everybody is experiencing their own struggle to find direction and identity. My piece Deep Under has similar aspects of misdirection. You can feel that the boy is unable to trust himself to choose the right path. The theme of water in both pieces represents how all people struggle with the choice of either being pulled down or fighting through the difficult times. Both show how this choice is a difficult one to make.

Inspiration artwork: Qin Han, Where is Home, 2015 Acrylic, cyanotype, and digital printing on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Israel Phillips

Submerged Digital photograph Elmont High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Katrin Marino I was inspired by Qin Han’s work because of the way she symbolized the feeling of longing and the desire to find somewhere that feels like home. I was also inspired by the way she used cyanotype, giving her artwork a blue hue. The figure in my photograph conveys a feeling of isolation. The line splitting the image in half emphasizes the idea that the figure is engulfed by the feeling of wanting to know where they belong in society and in the world.

Inspiration artwork: Qin Han, Where is Home, 2015 Acrylic, cyanotype, and digital printing on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Cristina Pietromonaco

The Inside Out India Ink, graphite, micron marker New Hyde Park Memorial High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Danielle Livoti Kenny Ng created Christina’s Window imagining the artist Andrew Wyeth sitting at the window painting Christina’s World, which famously depicts a paralyzed woman sitting in a field. Similar to Wyeth, I am staring out into the world in my painting, seeing negative events occurring. While he was a painter watching Christina struggle, I too am many things. I am a bystander watching someone get bullied; I am a soldier watching others get killed; I am a scientist watching the world melt away. Ng’s photograph displays how people are sheltered, but caged in their own thoughts. In my painting, I am somber, thinking of all the negativity happening in the world. Guilt can be seen in my face because I am restricted. The negativity is literally and figuratively beyond my reach.

Like Ng’s photograph, my artwork is black and white, emphasizing the darkness against the light.

Inspiration artwork: Kenny Ng, Christina’s Window, 2016, Gelatin silver print From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Vanessa Pinto, Extinction of the Species, Acrylic W.T. Clarke High School, Grade: 11, Art Teacher: Jane Pawlowski Lawrence Aarons’ work of art inspired me to explore a future world where our greed brought humanity to an end. I believe that wealth and greed often take precedence over caring for our environment. My piece shows a future where money clouds our vision and power pollutes our minds. The wooly monkey skeleton symbolizes the similarities between humans and other species, and serves as an image of our own future.

Inspiration artwork: Lawrence Aarons, Defense of the Species-Deer/Kendo Mask 2015, Sculpture From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Jemin Ren

Somnus Ceramic, spray paint, acrylic Syosset High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Peter Haughwout I was inspired by The Annunciation to portray religion in a more realistic light in my sculpture.

I used an angel as a symbol for beauty, but upon closer observation the viewer can see maggots and decay.

Maggots are not typically used as a religious symbol, but they serve as a symbol for decay and corruption that often reside in many religious practices today. I selected the angel as my subject to represent purity, just as Mary represents purity in The Annunciation. The maggots allude to man’s original sin, which can corrupt the innocence and purity of all things.

Inspiration artwork: Unknown Artist, The Annunciation c. 1580-1610, Oil on wood panel From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Mia Restrepo, Suspended, Digital photograph Oceanside High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Nanci Nigro The first thing I noticed about Margaret Minardi’s Grackle is the way the red string moves around the painting. This delicate string wraps around the grackles’ fragile necks, which is connected to the girl’s pen. One can imagine that once the pen moves, the grackle will be choked and meet a dark fate. Grackle suggests that humans have an interdependent relationship with nature, as the birds themselves are fully dependent upon the girl’s actions. The girl in Minardi’s piece symbolizes how thoughts can kill; new ideas can destroy the creatures that are dependent upon the habitats we share. My photograph Suspended exposes man’s arrogant delusion of power in the belief that he can control nature as if it were a puppet. However, no such control is possible, as the bird that suspends from the red strings is nothing more than a carcass.

Achievement Award in Digital Photography Inspiration artwork: Margaret Minardi, Grackle, 2016, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Caitlin Roberti

Desecrating Beauty Mixed media (antique crate, dead insect specimens, deer skull, preserved dead plants) Hicksville High School Grade: 10 Art Teacher: Craig Mateyunas Desecrating Beauty was inspired by Lawrence Aarons’ sculpture. I was amazed by how such a simple sculpture could make me feel so many emotions and inspire me to make a change. I decided to take the idea of the environmental damage humans have caused and create a piece that will open the eyes of those who choose to continue killing our planet. Desecrating Beauty consists of two layers: the top layer represents the diversity and beauty of all of Earth’s creatures; the bottom layer contains a deer skull set in Spanish moss, which is weaving itself throughout the box, creating a dull lifeless shell of what used to be in its place. On each side of the wooden box, you can see insect specimens trapped inside of glass jars. This represents the idea that if we keep taking creatures from their habitats for our own selfish needs, all we will have left is their remains. When you view this piece, I would like you to ask yourself, “Do I want to live in a beautiful world filled with diversity and color? Or would I rather ignore the desecration and live in a world with nothing but remains of the past?”

Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention

Inspiration artwork: Lawrence Aarons, Defense of the Species Deer/Kendo Mask, 2015, Sculpture From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Sophia Santella

Innæi Oil paint and charcoal on paper Huntington Fine Arts Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Lisa Mack Growing up in an environment with a mother who is an artist, I was always surrounded by color, shape, line, and form. She helped me to realize that I could communicate through art and that I can inspire a sense of wonder in others. Robert Kuhn was known for creating expressive, yet authentic, compositions.

[Cougar with Dead Boar] conveys the same wonder that I strive for in my work. I wanted to capture Kuhn’s powerful energy through expressive line work paired with harsh imagery. I played with the idea that something beautiful can also be dark and sharp. The piece that I chose to create examines the idea of beauty sometimes being a façade for the person within. The piece I created is titled Innæi, which translates to “see from the inside out” or “the sea within” in Icelandic. The subject’s veneer appears beautiful and soft, hiding the true person inside. I wanted to expose the reality of outward appearances, and help us to look from within and examine who we truly are.

Inspiration artwork: Robert Kuhn, [Cougar with Dead Boar] undated, Opaque watercolor on paper From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Taylor Santiago, Chaotic Connection, Acrylic paint Valley Stream South High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Ed Lee As I walked closer to BRICKOLAGE by Jeffrey Allan Price, I discovered that this was not just a block of color, but a sculpture formed by an array of used and discarded art supplies. This reminded me of pointilism, so I used this technique to create my piece. Up close the individual dots create colorful and playful geometric designs, then as you distance yourself from the piece a beautiful, circular, symmetrical pattern emerges from the visual blending of colors.

Inspiration artwork: Jeffrey Allan Price, BRICKOLAGE, 2015, 20+ years accumulation of used paintbrushes, dried paint, and empty paint containers From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Nadia Sbuttoni, Iguana, Watercolor on paper Manhasset High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Natalya Panullo My inspiration came from Wayne Gonzales’ painting Untitled (Pool Table Abstraction). His broad use of color and flat abstraction transformed a familiar object into an abstract composition. The intersecting shapes and lines create beautiful balance and the lines and colors are what inspired me most for my painting. By choosing unpredictable colors and including intricate detail, I hoped to accentuate the iguana’s skin in my painting and create a composition that transformed a recognizable subject into something more dramatic.

Inspiration artwork: Wayne Gonzales, Untitled (Pool Table Abstraction) 1998, Gouache on paper From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Jacob Siegelbaum

Addiction Mixed media (Sculpted resin, paint, plaster, metal) Centereach High School Grade: 10 Art Teacher: Lorraine Angeletti Eclipse of the Sun is a statement on what was a national problem during WWII — death at the cost of profit.

Today, the same idea applies. Instead of fighting a war amongst each other, we are fighting a war on drugs.

Corporations and cartels are making millions by selling both legal and illegal drugs to our youth. Corporations profit by selling prescription drugs without concern that they are addictive and may fall into the wrong hands.

Cartels profit when users can no longer get a drug and turn to heroin. On Long Island, we have a heroin epidemic. It is cheap and gives the user a strong but fleeting high. Every day, people become addicted and many die as a result. This is tragic not only for the user, but also for their families and everyone around them. I personally have experienced the devastating effects of having a family member addicted. My artwork shows a syringe filled with a liquid resembling the drug. Inside, a person is drowning, reaching out, trying to escape the hold of addiction. The syringe is stuck in a base of bodies, representing drug abuse victims. I left the gender, race, and culture of the bodies ambiguous, symbolizing how addiction affects everyone. My goal was to illustrate the effects drugs have on our society, the struggle of the user, and the slow and painful decomposition of people’s lives because of these substances.

Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention Stepping Stone Award

Inspiration artwork: George Grosz, Eclipse of the Sun, 1926, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Ms. Singer’s Advanced Art Students

bELIeve Mixed media (Drypoint on rice paper, thread, ink, watercolor) Huntington High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Kristin Singer

Inspiration artwork: Asia Lee, Fallen Shadow, 2014, Museum quality C-print on plexi From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Inspired by Asia Lee’s Fallen Shadow, we created bELIeve as a tribute to our classmate and friend Eli Mollineaux, who recently passed away after his lifelong battle with Pearson’s Syndrome.

Our main purpose in designing this piece was to heal and communicate through art, just as Eli did for us through his creativity and spirit. We used 36 squares, a number which is explained in the Talmud to be symbolic of the few truly righteous people; our community views Eli as one of these honored individuals. In sewing our squares of rice paper into a collaborative project, even including a brushstroke from Eli’s own watercolor piece, the thread served to unite many different artists and styles, resembling Eli’s role in our school and town.

We have portrayed the beauty of nature and the hope that it brings, similar to what Lee aimed to do as she created her work. Eli’s attitude towards life paralleled that of the artist’s message, bringing wholeness and harmony to our community.

Salia Soeun-Thol

King and Queen Oil paint on paper Division Avenue High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Tim Ryan I was attending the Norman Rockwell and Friends exhibit when I came upon the painting by Joseph Christian Leyendecker called Egyptian Queen.

While observing this illustration, I was intrigued not only by the beauty of the design and composition, but by the figure it displayed. Although the individual was beautiful, it came across as androgynous to me. It made me think about the issue here in America with our understanding and recognition of transgender individuals. I decided to depict a young adult in the process of accepting their unclear choice between alternative genders that has not yet been made. I placed my subject matter in a similar background and pose, but chose to portray it as a tile motif to represent the current issues surrounding the use of public bathrooms. It was important to me to paint my image as a flat complex design. My painting utilizes similar colors as in Cleopatra’s dress, while swapping out the plaque in the lower right corner with a reinvented sign for bathroom acceptance.

Honorable Mention Inspiration artwork: Joseph Christian Leyendecker, Egyptian Queen (aka Cleopatra), cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, October 6, 1923, Oil and mixed media on canvas From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Jackie Stevens

Shannon’s Story Colored pencil and acrylic Northport High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Margaret Minardi I drew my inspiration from Margaret Minardi’s mixed media piece, Grackle.

I loved this piece for its balance of realism and surrealism, and its usage of mixed media in a cohesive manner. I chose this work of art to challenge myself to work with mixed media, which is out of my comfort zone. I also chose Grackle because of my personal connection with the artist Margaret Minardi. She has been my teacher and inspiration for three years, and I have been privy to her artistic process and teaching style, which has allowed me to have a grasp on what she was thinking when creating Grackle. She helped me emulate these feelings and processes in my own work. I was inspired by Grackle’s relatively muted palette of blues and greens and how the figure in the background connects to the surreal scene in the foreground. I used a mixture of colored pencil and paint on my figure, a technique Minardi also uses, to achieve a richer look. The green army men in my artwork are symbolic of the girl’s creativity while she paints, and are similar to Minardi’s birds in that they both add an element of surrealism.

Joseph Mack Achievement Award

Inspiration artwork: Margaret Minardi, Grackle, 2016, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Grace Sullivan, Blinded, Archival pigment print Wantagh High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Patricia Beary I was inspired by Mark Kuhn’s Memorial #22, which features sharp diagonals, contrast produced by light and shadow, and an emphasis on trapezoidal shapes. I set out to compose a photograph that utilized similar elements in order to create an ominous mood similar to that in Kuhn’s artwork. By photographing folded paper under a linear shadow, I aimed to conjure the same eerie feeling that Memorial #22 evokes. I believe the stark contrast of black and white in both works mirrors how there is often a fine line between good and bad in our world. The presence of black lines interrupting the white areas in both pieces is symbolic of how the honesty and altruism of mankind is often clouded by incidents of hatred and violence.

Achievement Award in Black and White Photography

Inspiration artwork: Mark Kuhn, Memorial #22, 1986, Poster paint and grease pencils on BFK Rives Paper From the exhibition: Synapses: Threads for Thought

Kamila Tlemissova, It’s A Competitive World, Oil on canvas MacArthur High School, Grade: 11, Art Teacher: Tom Bobal N. Jay Jaffee’s photograph Woman and Girl in IRT Train drew my attention from first sight and inspired me to create my own vision of subways and everyday riders. The Metro is one of the most crowded places I have ever encountered. It is the center of daily activity. In my painting, the main focus is on the absence of people, who I replaced with fish. The koi fish in my painting represent human nature and people’s sense of purpose.

They symbolize people who swim against the current and create their own realities to shape their own destinies.

Achievement Award in Painting Joseph Mack Achievement Award

Inspiration artwork: N. Jay Jaffee, Woman and Girl in IRT Train 1951, Silenium-toned gelatin silver print From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Chynna Tomastyk

World of Garbage Digital photograph John F. Kennedy High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Mark Booth I was inspired by Philip Gladkov’s mixed media sculpture #6 and the message behind it. It is our responsibility to protect and preserve our planet for future generations. I have seen people leave countless items of trash on the beach without thinking of the consequences.

We may see a sixth extinction if we do not do a better job of protecting our planet.

Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention

Inspiration artwork: Phillip Gladkov, #6, 2016, Mixed media From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Paulina Trzonkowska

I Love My Phone Gouache West Babylon High School Grade: 11 Art Teacher: Heather Korchma In Jon Whitcomb’s The Telephone Call, the figure is illuminated while the background is full of shadows. I feel that this gives the piece a mysterious tone. Looking at Whitcomb’s work, I was inspired to focus on dramatic lighting in my own artwork.

I illuminated the subject’s face and placed a reflection on the glasses, leaving the rest of the painting predominantly full of dark shadows. Continuing with the mysterious theme, I also abstracted the colors on the subject’s face.

Renzo S. Bianchi Scholarship Award

Inspiration artwork: Jon Whitcomb, The Telephone Call undated, Opaque watercolor on canvas From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Ricky Vargas

Restraining Hatred Charcoal and graphite Valley Stream South High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Ed Lee Upon first glance of Justin Greenwald’s work of art, I was puzzled by this abstract image. Greenwald states that entropy is, “the amount of order or lack of in a system.” Paradoxically, if something has entropy, how can there be organized chaos?

My artwork is the prequel to Greenwald’s in that there is a powerful and underlying meaning behind the organized chaos. I exposed the paradox by isolating the roots of the chaos and starting with individual abstract marks. I integrated these marks into a clear image. Using my father as a model, I drew him as a prisoner held captive by the chaos of 2016. Taking the illegible letters inscribed in Greenwald’s painting, I cemented them together to decipher the themes that sparked the chaotic year of 2016. I showcased four themes of hate and wrote them on the post-its: Sexism, Racism, Homophobia, and Terrorism. Sadly, no matter how much good we put into the world, there will always be hate rotting below the surface, waiting for the opportunity to emerge.

CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENT BEST IN SHOW AWARD

Inspiration artwork: Justin Greenwald, Entropy 2015/Color Study 2015, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Kimberly Vo

Passage Photograph Hicksville High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Beth Atkinson Joanne Klein’s Untitled Aluminum Relief #3 illustrates thoughts about time and the division of space using geometric shapes.

I was captivated by the artist’s use of shapes to create descending repetition.

I chose to focus on division of space, geometric shapes, and the concept of repetition in my own artwork. In my photograph, a path of rocks leads the viewer to a circular tunnel. The tunnel is framed for the viewer to look into the darkness and follow the light. Passage captures the circular repetition in the depth of the tunnel as it moves further into the distance, ending with horizontal lines that repeat from the foreground.

Inspiration artwork: Joanne Klein, Untitled Aluminum Relief #3 2014, Tooled aluminum and graphite on wood From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

Melissa Ward, The Voyeur, Digital print Garden City High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Shawn Uttendorfer I was inspired by Berenice Abbott’s photograph Tri-Boro Barber School. I took my photograph on a field trip to Chelsea Market in New York City. After viewing Abbott’s work, I realized that this was the perfect place to find inspiration, as she often photographed people and places in and around New York City. In Abbott’s photograph, the barber is framed by the patterns on the doorway. In my photograph, the window becomes a frame for the activity of the bakers in the bread shop. It provides a behind-the-scenes view of the shop, inviting people to watch the activity, yet there is still a barrier. Like Abbott’s work, my photograph has a strong sense of pattern.

I chose to make this digital photograph black and white to create a sense of timelessness.

Honorable Mention

Inspiration artwork: Berenice Abbott, Tri-Boro Barber School 1935 (printed 1982), Gelatin silver print From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Nicole Wolert

The Releasing Oil on canvas Locust Valley High School Grade: 12 Art Teacher: Melanie Mooney While visiting The Heckscher Museum, I was drawn to Harvey Dunn’s Two Nudes on Beach, which shows two women surrounded by wispy pastel waves. The soft, dusty, pastel color palette and the flowing, gentle forms of the two figures served as inspiration for my piece. The painting has a feeling of nostalgia and comfort and the two figures seem comfortable and unashamed of their bodies. This inspired me to use a similar color palette to represent the search for self confidence. The Releasing represents the suffocation we feel by society’s beauty standards. My painting depicts a transitional process beginning with the acceptance of bearing the oppression of society, and culminating with the freeing of the mind and body.

Inspiration artwork: Harvey Dunn, Two Nudes on Beach undated, Oil on board From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

Ava Xu, The Walk, Oil on canvas Cold Spring Harbor High School, Grade: 12, Art Teacher: Christine Oswald My work was inspired by Jim Byrne’s Overlook. I painted three Cambodian students who are walking to school. In contrast to Byrne’s painting, I incorporated more loosely-painted brush strokes in the grayscale trees in the background, which are abstract. I painted purple shadows for the girls in contrast with the lemon yellow background to create a feeling of excitement.

Huntington Fine Arts Honorable Mention

Inspiration artwork: Jim Byrne, Overlook, 2015, Oil on canvas From the exhibition: Long Island Biennial 2016

WeiHsin (Julia) Yang, Drive Thru Life, Digital photograph Valley Stream South High School, Grade: 10, Art Teacher: Paulette Lowe Don Eddy’s lithograph presents a moment in everyday life from 40 years ago. The reflections of the scene outside make a statement about the busy nature of the world. The butcher standing inside the store appears to be engaged with one of his customers. He appears to be leaning forward, listening attentively. He looks as though he could call every customer by name as they are entering the store. I feel that in our 21st-century life people are much more isolated. The local butcher shop is relegated to history and replaced with fast food establishments. In response to Eddy’s piece, I took a photograph from inside a McDonald’s restaurant, looking out to the street. In my photograph the world outside is filled with cars, but no human life. We are living a drive-thru life, where we no longer communicate with the people around us.

Inspiration artwork: Don Eddy, Rosen Brothers - Strictly Kosher 1973, Lithograph on paper From the exhibition: Looking Out, Looking In: Windows in Art

Charlotte Zhang

Not So Still Life Charcoal pencil and white chalk on paper Manhasset High School Grade: 10 Art Teacher: Michael Sansone James Bama’s painting Taxidermy Shop was the inspiration for my drawing Not So Still Life. In Bama’s still life, all of the objects look as though they are moving even though they are dead. Through the craft of taxidermy, dead creatures are preserved and placed in animated gestures as if they are alive. In my still life drawing, the two pears, though inanimate, are still considered to be living organisms. The skull, which is no longer considered to be living, has now taken on a life of its own as it floats ominously above.

Inspiration artwork: James Bama, Taxidermy Shop undated, Oil on board From the exhibition: Norman Rockwell and Friends

OPENING RECEPTION & AWARDS CEREMONY March 18, 2017

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 56 schools across Nassau and Suffolk Counties submitted artwork for jurying for the 2017 exhibition. Thank you to all of the participating schools, administrators, and teachers. Your hard work and support make this exhibition possible.

Amityville Memorial High School Amityville Union Free School District Dr. Clinton Grant, Principal Dr. Frances Fernandez, Director of Fine Arts Jayne Grasso, Art Teacher Nidia Keaveny, Art Teacher Baldwin High School Baldwin Union Free School District Caterina Lafergola, Principal André Poprillo, Dir. of Visual & Performing Arts Patricia Grant, Art Teacher Michelle Liemer-Kelly, Art Teacher Bayport-Blue Point High School Bayport-Blue Point School District Guarav Passi, Principal Frank Salino, Teacher-in-Charge of HS Art Tina Nadeem, Art Teacher Bellport High School South Country Central School District Tim Hogan, Principal Suzette Fandale, Art Dept. Chair., Art Teacher Lisa Conk, Art Teacher Brentwood High School Brentwood Union Free School District John Callan, Principal Stephen G. Guarino, Coord. of Performing & Fine Arts Kristin Grossi, Art Teacher Nick Groudas, Art Teacher Centereach High School Middle Country Central School District Tom Bell, Principal Diana Cook, Director of Fine Arts Lorraine Angeletti, Art Teacher Monica Holland, Art Teacher Cold Spring Harbor High School Cold Spring Harbor Union Free School District Jay Matuk, Principal Andria McLaughlin, Art Department Chairperson Laura Cirino, Art Teacher Samantha Hayes, Art Teacher Christine Oswald, Art Teacher Commack High School Commack Union Free School District Leslie Boritz, Principal Paul Infante, Director of Fine & Applied Arts Frank Musto, Art Teacher Connetquot High School Connetquot Central School District Kenneth Costa, Principal Jon-Michael Lasher, Director of Art & Music John Hargrave, Art Teacher

Deer Park High School Deer Park Union Free School District Charles Cobb, Principal Bradley Murphy, C.A. for Fine & Performing Arts Derek Mainhart, Art Teacher Division Avenue High School Levittown Union Free School District John Coscia, Principal Frank Creter, Director of Art/Technology/FACS Timothy Ryan, Art Teacher E.W. Miles Middle School Amityville Union Free School District Edward Plaia, Principal Dr. Frances Fernandez, Dir. of Fine Arts Jennifer Dibble, Art Teacher Nicole Scoca, Art Teacher East Rockaway High School East Rockaway School District Joseph Spero, Principal Thomas Schloen, Fine Arts Chairperson Kelly Cabasso, Art Teacher Kristie Hirten, Art Teacher Elmont High School Sewanhaka Central High School District Kevin Dougherty, Principal Chris Yee, Art Department Chairperson Katrin Marino, Art Teacher Elwood John Glenn High School Elwood Union Free School District Carisa Burzynski, Principal Amy Lindenbaum, Art Teacher Garden City High School Garden City Union Free School District Nanine McLaughlin, Principal Nina Prasso, District Coordinator of Music and Art Shawn Uttendorfer, Art Teacher MacArther High School Levittown Union Free School District Joseph Sheehan, Principal Frank Creter, Director of Art/Technology/FACS Tom Bobal, Art Teacher Rebecca Muir, Art Teacher Half Hollow Hills High School East Half Hollow Hills Union Free School District Dr. Jeffery Woodberry, Principal Dr. Darlene Lilla, Dir. of Fine Arts Allyson Uttendorfer, Art Teacher

Half Hollow Hills High School West Half Hollow Hills Central School District Dr. Michael Catapano, Principal Dr. Darlene Lilla, Dir. of Fine Arts Jennifer Ievolo, Art Teacher Amanda Montiglio, Art Teacher Jeannette Nourry, Art Teacher

Long Beach High School Long Beach Union Free School District Jeffrey Meyers, Principal Julia Lang-Shapiro, Dir. of Media, Visual & Perf. Arts Eric Fox, Art Teacher Joanne Harvey, Art Teacher Suzanne Presberg, Art Teacher AnnMarie Pulice, Art Teacher

Harborfields High School Harborfields Central School District Tim Russo, Principal Elizabeth DeVaney, Coordinator Eileen Shields, Art Teacher

Long Island High School for the Arts Nassau BOCES Jack Lenson, Principal Jason Cuvelier, Art Dept. Director, Art Teacher

Hauppauge High School Hauppauge Union Free School District Christine O'Connor, Principal Laura Stiegelmaier, Dir. of Fine & Perf. Arts Patricia DiMasi-Coppola, Art Teacher

Manhasset High School Manhasset Union Free School District Dr. Dean Schlanger, Principal Natalya Panullo, Art Teacher Michael Sansone, Art Teacher

Hicksville High School Hicksville Union Free School District Raymond Williams, Principal Philip Grusenmeyer, Supervisor of Fine Arts Beth Atkinson, Art Teacher Angela Galante, Art Teacher Craig Mateyunas, Art Teacher

Miller Place High School Miller Place Union Free School District Kevin Slaven, Principal Jeffrey Corbett, Lead Teacher Julia Vogelle, Art Teacher

Huntington Fine Arts Lisa Hock Mack, President, Art Instructor Lenore Hanson, Art Teacher Huntington High School Huntington Union Free School District Brenden Cusack, Principal Eric Reynolds, Director of Fine & Performing Art Kasmira Mohanty, Art Teacher Kristin Singer, Art Teacher John F. Kennedy High School Bellmore-Merrick Central HS District Lorraine Poppe, Principal Jon LaRochester, Art Department Chairperson Vanessa Albaneze, Art Teacher Mark Booth, Art Teacher Kings Park High School Kings Park Union Free School District Lino Bracco, Principal Susan Guasp, Art Teacher Lawrence Woodmere Academy Woodmere, New York Alan Bernstein, Headmaster Dawn Shillalies, Art Teacher Lindenhurst High School Lindenhurst Union Free School District Christopher Gitz, Principal Rose Marvel, Coord. of Fine and Performing Arts Suzette Picozzi, Art Teacher Locust Valley High School Locust Valley Central School District Kieran McGuire, Principal Tom Hogan, Art Department Head Thomas Camilleri, Art Teacher Melanie Mooney, Art Teacher

Mineola High School Mineola Public Schools Whitney Smith, Principal Joe Owens, Director of Fine Arts Kathy Loughlin, Art Teacher New Hyde Park Memorial High School Sewanhaka Central High School District Dr. Richard Faccio, Principal Danielle Livoti, Art Teacher Newfield High School Middle Country Central School District Scott Graviano, Principal Diana Cook, Dir. of Music & Fine Arts Sal Berretta, Art Teacher Mike Chicarelli, Art Teacher Patti Kern, Art Teacher Eileen McIntyre, Art Teacher Northport High School Northport-East Northport School District Dan Danbusky, Principal Dr. Izzet Mergen, Dir. of Fine & Performing Arts John DeRosa, Art Teacher Margaret Minardi, Art Teacher Robin O'Neill-Gonzalez, Art Teacher Pamela Waldroup, Art Teacher Constance Wolf, Art Teacher Oceanside High School Oceanside Union Free School District Dr. Geraldine DeCarlo, Principal Robert Brase, Dir. of Fine & Performing Arts Jennifer Bonilla, Art Teacher Kristin Gemino, Art Teacher Carol Marano, Art Teacher Nanci Nigro, Art Teacher

Our Lady of Mercy Academy Syosset, New York Lisa Harrison, Principal Jody Spadaro, Chairperson of Fine Arts, Art Teacher Oyster Bay High School Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District Sharon Lasher, Principal Peter Rufa, Supervisor of Fine & Performing Art Scott Boris, Art Teacher Maria Randazzo, Art Teacher Patchogue-Medford High School Patchogue-Medford School District Dr. Randy Rusielewicz, Principal Mark Stuckey, Dir. of Music and Fine Arts Amy Cunningham, Art Teacher Nancy Gladd, Art Teacher

Valley Stream Central High School Valley Stream Central High School District Dr. Joseph Pompilio, Principal Adam Erdos, Fine & Performing Arts Director Mario Bakalov, Art Teacher Valley Stream North High School Valley Stream Central High School District James Bolen, Principal Adam Erdos, Fine & Performing Arts Director Allan Nafte, Art Teacher Valley Stream South High School Valley Stream Central High School District Maureen Henry, Principal Adam Erdos, Fine & Performing Arts Director Edward Lee, Art Teacher Paulette Lowe, Art Teacher Roseann Valletti, Art Teacher

Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District James Murray, Principal Ben Wiley, Director of Art & Digital Instruction Linda Curran, Art Teacher Jen Beinlich, Art Teacher

W.T. Clarke High School East Meadow Union Free School District Timothy Voels, Principal Katherine Behr, Director of Music & Art Jane Pawlowski, Art Teacher

Sachem High School East Sachem Central School District Louis Antonetti, Principal Kerrin Asner, Art Department Chairperson Lauren Lewonka, Art Teacher Katrina Wrigley, Art Teacher

Wantagh High School Wantagh Union Free School District Carolyn Breivogel, Principal Kelly Good, Supervisor of Fine & Performing Arts Patricia Beary, Art Teacher AmySue McPartlan, Art Teacher

Sayville High School Sayville Union Free School District Ronald Hoffer, Principal Debra Urso, Art Department Chairperson Jen Berotti, Art Teacher Evan Hammer, Art Teacher John Verschure, Art Teacher

West Babylon Senior High School West Babylon Union Free School District Dr. Ellice Vassallo, Principal Christine Iaquinto, Art Dept. Chair., Art Teacher James Fulton, Art Teacher Heather Korchma, Art Teacher

Smithtown Christian School Smithtown, New York Anthony Buttacy, Principal James Roselle, Art Dept. Chairperson, Art Teacher Smithtown High School West Smithtown Central School District John Coady, Principal Michael Mastrangelo, Director of Fine Arts Steve Halem, Art Teacher St. Anthony's High School Diocese of Rockville Centre Brother Gary Cregan, O.S.F. Christopher Lauto, Art Department Chairperson Jennifer Baldwin-Schafer, Art Teacher Syosset High School Syosset Central District Dr. Giovanni Durante, Principal Michael Salzman, Coord. of Fine & Performing Arts Peter Haughwout, Art Teacher Chrysoula Highland, Art Teacher Demetra Protonentis, Art Teacher Damon Tommolino, Art Teacher

West Islip High School West Islip Union Free School District Dr. Anthony Bridgeman, Principal Eric Albinder, Director of Art & Music Linda Marino, Art Teacher Annette Musteric, Art Teacher Wyandanch High School Wyandanch Union Free School District Paul Sibblies, Principal Joshua Rackoff, Chairperson, Art Teacher Jill Lewis, Art Teacher

Donna Burawa, Apeeling To The Masses, Digital photograph [detail]. Patchogue-Medford High School, Art Teacher: Amy Cunningham

The Heckscher Museum of Art Dr. Bette Schneiderman, Trustee and Chair of Education Committee Michael W. Schantz, Ph.D., Executive Director & CEO Lisa Chalif, Curator Joy Weiner, Director of Education & Public Programs Kristina Schaaf, Associate Director of Education/ Coordinator of Digital Content Jessica Mann, Museum Educator Lauren Plate, Museum Educator

2 Prime Avenue Huntington, NY 11743 631.351.3250 Heckscher.org Education Department 631.351.3214

@heckschermuseum #hmalibest #ArtistsoftheDay