Being Young at Art

When I arrived at The PoconoArts Cultural Center in Stroudsburg, PA a few minutes after the Friday March 11^th Artists' Reception began, the venue was already filled with to near capacity. An air of excitement and creativity also populated the Center's ARTSPACE Gallery as artists along with their family members, teachers, and classmates explored the works on display for The Pocono Arts Council's 23^rd Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition. There were also a large number of art lovers not associated with any of the featured students who found themselves captivated by the sheer beauty of the exhibit.

The energies of the students emanated from their overpowering desire to explore the boundless perimeters of artistic expression. This proved to be a contagion among those who viewed the work as each piece created by area junior and senior high school students conveyed a depth in technique and substance seldom realized in the endeavors of the most experienced of artists. There were a number of individuals who gave credit for the exhibit's magnificent properties to the teachers who shared their knowledge with the students, but I feel, while the education process and made the students aware of the possibilities one can explore in the creation of art, each student expressed their individualized vision in their work and deserves all the accolades it inspires.

The exhibition is a juried one with awards given out to those whose work were considered to be even more exceptional than those created by their peers. Mitzi Campbell www.mitzicampbell.com of the Peters Valley School of Craft www.facebook.com/Peters-Valley-School-of-Craft-477419050135/?fref=ts in Layton, NJ and David Mazure www.DavidMazure.com of the East Stroudsburg University of PA www.esu.edu served as its Judges. The awards were presented by The Pocono Arts Council's Executive Director Laura Goss and were sponsored by William and Patricia Hibschman, The Monroe County, PA Bar Association Foundation, The Northampton Community College: Monroe campus, The Pocono Chapter of the PA Guild of Craftsmen, and The Pocono Arts Council. The recipients of the awards were:

In the 3-D Works (Sculpture and Non Functional) category, Jenise McDonnell received the Third Place Award for her piece titled, “In The Eyes of My Spirit,” Hailey Mager received the Second Place Award for her piece titled, “Sensory Deprivation,” In the 3-D Works (Sculpture and Non Functional) category, Jenise McDonnell received the Third Place Award for her piece titled, “In The Eyes of My Spirit,” Hailey Mager, received the Second Place Award for her piece titled, “Sensory Deprivation,” and Emilie Seda received the First Place Award for her piece titled, “Primary.”

In the Fine Crafts (Functional) category, Sabrina Parisi received the Third Place Award for her piece titled, “From Ginnungagap,” Noel Anne Sama received the Second Place Award for her piece titled, “Japanese Tea Bowl,” and Kevin Wimmer received the First Place Award for his piece titled, “Glass and Brass Sushi Set.”

In the 2 D category, Mary Cerbone received the Third Place Award for her piece titled, “From Ginnungagap” as did Shannon Simpson for her piece titled, “Wild Beauty,” Victoria Scotto received the Second Place Award for her piece titled, “The Art of Growing,” and Richard Berwind received the First Place Award for his piece titled, “Self Portrait.”

In addition to these awards, Joseph O'Connor was considered worthy to receive a Honorable Mention for his work titled, “Mathematics in Full Bloom,” Reesha Patel received the Best in Photography Award for her piece titled, “Seeking,” and Devin Kagel won Best in Show for her piece titled, “Dimples.”

The schools participating in The Pocono Arts Council's 23^rd Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition were The Notre Dame High School in East Stroudsburg, PA, The Pleasant Valley, PA High School, The Pocono Mountain East and West High Schools, and the Stroudsburg, PA High School. To honor the teachers, gallery space was set aside for them. They were George Boudman of The Pleasant Valley, PA High School whose photographic work was titled, “Mountain Mama,” Mark Ciocca of The Pocono Mountain West High School whose work on paper was titled, “The Passage,” Shelly Grillo of The Pocono Mountain East High School whose mixed media piece was titled, “Daily Bread,” Garrett James of The Pocono Mountain West High School whose ceramic pieces were titled, “From the Ashes of Disaster” and “Grow the Roses of Success,” and Kris Miele-Beatty of The Pocono Mountain West High School whose acrylic piece was titled, “Maeve.”

In addition to the main Exhibition, a collection of works created by Dee Huxster was shown throughout the Center's Studio Gallery. Ms. Huxster has been a well appreciated part of the Pocono Arts Council and other area community endeavors for a number of years. However, she left the area recently to take up residence in the southern regions of the United States. Ms. Huxster's departure is currently being marked by a special ongoing display of her varied pieces which are for sale at half their regular prices. The work can be explored and purchased during the center’s business hours.

The Pocono Arts Council's 23^rd Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition continues to be on display until March 31^st. The work is truly remarkable and is sure to enhance anyone who comes by the gallery to see it. The next exhibition scheduled to take place at The PoconoArts Community Cultural Center is their Earth Speaks II: A Juried Exhibition to be on display in their ARTSPACE Gallery. The Artists' Reception is scheduled for Saturday April 16^th and will continue to be on display until April 20^th. In the meantime, you'll find more images taken during the Artists' Reception in the Being Young at Art Gallery at www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154650157618761.1073741950.91146283760&type=3.

The PoconoArts Community Cultural Center is part of The PoconoArts Council which is an organization designed to build the communities in which it serves artistically and culturally by providing leadership, service, and education. It does so by offering avenues for artists to display their work through the center and other galleries, educational opportunities for those who would like to explore and/or enhance their creative natures, and encouragement to those who seek to express and/or support the arts. You’ll be able to learn more about The PoconoArts Community Cultural Center and all it has to offer the creative community by exploring The PoconoArts Council Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/poconoartscouncil or their Website at www.poconoarts.org.

Photography by Paparazzi Paul.