Stamford students exhibiting at Silvermine: (left to right) Ayo Job, with her Best in Show painting, “Infiltration”; Robin Konrad, Content Leader for Visual Arts K-12, Stamford Public Schools, with fellow Art Faculty; Dailibeth Rivas, with her “Sukana Necklace,” Honorable Mention in Metal and Sculpture.
NEW CANAAN, CT, March 31, 2023—The artwork of students from all three Stamford high schools was recently showcased in the TEEN VISIONS 2023 exhibition held at the Silvermine Arts Center in New Canaan. The visual arts faculty from Westhill High School, The Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, and Stamford High School selected top student artwork for participation in the annual exhibition.
The show is a result of a continuing, eleven-year collaboration between the Stamford High Schools, Jerry’s Artarama in Norwalk, and Silvermine. Jerry’s Artarama provided generous cash awards that included Best in Show and top prizes for two-dimensional art, ceramics, sculpture, digital media, and photography as well as swag bags for all participants.
Traditionally, the collaborative showcase has been held to create a real-world learning experience—providing students with the opportunity to share their work with members of the local art and design community in a gallery environment. Robin Konrad, District Content Leader for Visual Arts, described this show as “the result of countless hours of intensive work by young artists and the teachers who provide daily guidance and encouragement.” Missy Savard, who coordinates Outreach Education at Silvermine, added, “The Stamford Public School administrators recognize the long-lasting positive impact of the arts in every student’s academic development, whether or not they choose to pursue a creative career path.”
Participating students presented their exceptional work at a reception held on Sunday, March 26, attended by school faculty, administrators, family members, and the public. The showcase celebrated 90 pieces of artwork covering five categories: Drawing and Painting, Mixed Media/Collage/Printmaking, Photography/Digital Media, Ceramics/Pottery, and Metals/Sculpture.
Best in Show was awarded to Ayo Job, a junior at Westhill High School, whose acrylic painting entitled “Infiltration” depicts a compelling, surrealistic self-portrait. A large diagonal composition fills the 24” x 18” canvas. A contrasting diagonal element—a pair of slanted, transparent eyeglasses—focuses the viewer’s gaze on an eyeball. Adept at a variety of media, Job won an additional accolade of Honorable Mention for her charcoal rendering of a figure in “Loss of Control.”
Awarded First Place for a multi-exposure digital photograph, striking in its subtlety, Logan Chambers, a Stamford High School senior, draws the observer into his compelling image of a lone figure in darkness. The tonal image explores visual representations of how the media portrays iniquity.
Megha Giri was an Honorable Mention awardee in the category of Drawing and Painting for “Possibilities,” a watercolor that depicts an interior filled with colorful bookcases while exploring multiple perspectives. The Academy of Information Technology and Engineering student captured a meditative quality in both technique and subject matter.
First Place for Metals and Sculpture was awarded to Westhill senior Laisha Hernandez for her wire-wrapped snake ring. “Being included in the show was totally unexpected,” said Laisha. “I am grateful. I love the process of being able to create something original, creative, and authentic…something true to me.”
The following is a complete list of students who earned prizes for their outstanding works:
Westhill High School: Ayo Job, Best in Show, Drawing and Painting; Caitlin Came, First Place in Drawing and Painting; John Ferris, First Place Mixed Media, Collage and Printmaking; Laisha Hernandez, First Place Metal and Sculpture; Diana Rojas, Second Place Metal and Sculpture; Ayo Job, Honorable Mention Drawing and Painting, Joseph Candacho, Honorable Mention Photography and Digital Media; Allie Colindres, Honorable Mention Mixed Media, Collage and Printmaking; Eleni Yohannes, Honorable Mention Mixed Media, Collage and Printmaking; Dailibeth Rivas, Honorable Mention Metal and Sculpture; Phoebe Jamieson, Honorable Mention Metal and Sculpture; Callie Morson, Honorable Mention Metal and Sculpture; Alexa Forbes, Honorable Mention Ceramics and Pottery.
Academy of Information Technology & Engineering: Natalia Sierra Vettorazzi, Second Place Drawing and Painting; Ilze Ulyanov, Second Place Photography and Digital Media; Nina Paolini-Rota, Honorable Mention Drawing and Painting; Megha Giri, Honorable Mention Drawing and Painting.
Stamford High School: Logan Chambers, First Place Photography and Digital Media; Denise Sobral, First Place Ceramics and Pottery; Nina Roshe, Second Place Mixed Media, Collage and Printmaking; Allison Garrido, Second Place Ceramics and Pottery; Genesis Mendez, Honorable Mention Drawing and Painting; Lizbeth Hernandez, Honorable Mention Drawing and Painting; Kim Catalan, Honorable Mention Photography and Digital Media; Yourvicka Samedy, Honorable Mention Photography and Digital Media; Kierecia Chisholm, Honorable Mention Photography and Digital Media; Emilia Janik, Honorable Mention Metal and Sculpture; Myria Principe, Honorable Mention Ceramics and Pottery; Marlim Alvarez, Honorable Mention Ceramics and Pottery.
The gallery exhibition of these unique student pieces, many of which involved challenging, diverse media and varied subject matter, celebrated optimism, imagination, wonder, and a wealth of possibilities for the future. Silvermine Arts Center was honored to host this annual event on their campus again and to welcome students to take part in the arts community at Silvermine.
