The opening reception of the Bruce Museum exhibition “iCreate 2017” brought together nearly 200 parents, teachers students and guests to celebrate young artistic talent on June 15. The annual juried exhibition, which is on view through July 30, spotlights fine art from high school students throughout New York and Connecticut. The show features 42 works on view, selected from more than 700 submissions from 48 high schools. Eight high school seniors on the Youth@Bruce Committee organized the exhibition under the direction of Volunteer Manager/Digital Media Manager Mary Ann Lendenmann and presented awards at the opening ceremony.
The opening event featured awards recognizing the work of seven young artists. First Place went to Ebony Adams, grade 10, High School of Art and Design in New York, who submitted a Self Portrait in charcoal. Courtney Lowe, grade 12, Darien High School, received Second Place for a charcoal drawing of herself titled One More. Will Carpenter, grade 12, Ridgefield High School, took Third Place for his oil on canvas painting “Insider Trading.” Honorary Mentions went to Audrey Benson of Newtown High School and Kristen Picard of Darien High School. Frame Lady by Janelly Santos of the High School of Art and Design won the Youth@Bruce Award, selected by the interns who organized the exhibiton. The Vanguard Award, given to the artist whose work was most innovative and inventive, went Skylar Thomas of Staples High School, Westport, for his digital design in posters and video games.
Judges for the “iCreate 2017” exhibition were artist and Bruce Museum exhibit designer Daniel Buckley; art historian, author and former Bruce Museum deputy director Susan Ball; and artist and festival director Sue Brown Gordon.
Voting for the People’s Choice Award continues through July 15. The public is invited to view all the submitted works in a video in the exhibition or online at brucemuseum.org on the iCreate page and vote for their favorite artist. The People’s Choice Award will be presented at the Museum’s Warhol Summer Bash Family Day on Sunday, July 16.
The high school seniors who organized the show include Rachel Gee from Scarsdale High School, Devon Hammer and Catherine Li from Ridgefield High School, Ellie Hooker from Byram Hills High School, and Megan Hobbs, Courtney Lowe, Kristen Picard, and Bridget Wolters from Darien High School.
