Young artists from Suffolk and Nassau counties are showcasing their talents in the Fourth Annual Middle and High School Student Artists Juried Show at The Atelier at Flowerfield in Saint James. The exhibition, which runs through March 27, features the work of 100 students and provides local residents with a chance to see the best of emerging artistic talent from the region.
Located in Saint James, The Atelier gallery, with 2,000 square feet of space, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The show was conceived to encourage young artists in Nassau and Suffolk County,” Events Coordinator Donna Howard told South Shore Press. “It has grown from 47 student entries the first year to over 100. We are encouraged by the support of the art teachers and the parents of these young artists.”
As a nonprofit, The Atelier at Flowerfield is on a mission to promote and encourage artists of all ages, which this juried show helps to fulfill for students in middle and high school.
“By showcasing their artwork,” Howard said, “we hope to build their self-esteem and guide them to a career path that fulfills their desire to be creative and engage in self-expression.”
Besides showcasing student work, The Atelier also runs classes and workshops to stimulate creativity and artistic skills.
“We encourage and support future artists by offering classes and workshops with exceptional, professional instructors. We install and promote exhibitions by students and instructors as well as local and visiting artists in Atelier Hall,” said Howard.
One of these provisions is the open studio held on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., where artists of all ages can grow and learn, according to the website.
“The Atelier has a full schedule of art classes starting with kids from 6 years to adults of any age,” Howard added.
Howard said the organization also hosts monthly workshops, online art history lectures, free lectures, a fine art library, and scholarship and fellowship programs.
The Atelier reports that the exhibition includes artwork from students at the following high schools: Central Islip, West Islip, Islip, Commack, Great Neck, Half Hollow Hills, Harborfields, Herricks, Hicksville, Locust Valley, Miller Place, Newfield, Oceanside, Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy, Syosset, Ward Melville, and W. Tresper Clarke, as well as Islip Middle School, J. Taylor Finley Middle School, Jericho Middle School, and The Stony Brook School.
The winners in the 12-14 age group are as follows: first place—Imogen Thaler of J. Taylor Finley Middle School for “Blood Orange”; second place—schoolmate William Oliva for “Balloons”; third place—Yuxi Jang of R.C. Murphy Junior High School for “Lion Portrait”; and honorable mention—Tillie Ancipink of Islip Middle School for “Scratch.”
The winners in the 15-18 age group include: first place—Ray Lang of Ward Melville High School for “George”; second place—Roscelyn Perez of Oceanside High School for “Blooming Beauty”; third place—Isabella DeVito of Ward Melville High School for “Port Jefferson.” Honorable mentions went to Hummaa Abid of Locust Valley High School for “The Echo of Being” and Gavin Sanfillipo of Miller Place High School for “Mona Lisa.”
For more information on the exhibit, visit https://theatelieratflowerfield.org.