Glenfield students pictured with Executive DiVincenzo
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and the Art Educators of New Jersey welcomed 102 students from throughout Essex County to the Hall of Records for the Art Educators of New Jersey student art exhibit on Monday, March 28. This is the 12th consecutive year DiVincenzo has partnered with the Art Educators of New Jersey to present the student artists exhibit at the Hall of Records.
During the month of March, the first floor lobby of the Hall of Records was transformed into a student art gallery. Employees and visitors to the county building were treated to the colorful and lifelike portraits, paintings and drawings.
“Essex County has some very creative and talented student artists at all age levels from elementary to high school. The original artwork that is included in our exhibit is truly inspiring,” DiVincenzo said. “I am proud to have been a partner with the Art Educators of New Jersey for a decade presenting this exhibit. This is an opportunity to promote our students’ positive achievements and enables the general public to see the talent in our schools,” he added.
“This is a wonderful observance to emphasize the value of art education for children of all ages and encourage support for art programs in our public schools,” said Catherine Kondreck, Chairwoman of the 2016 New Jersey Art Educators of New Jersey Essex County Exhibit. “These students have worked very hard and it is wonderful to have them receive this recognition. Kudos to them and our county leaders for continuing to put Essex County and our children first! We especially want to thank the County Executive for giving us the opportunity to share the talents of our students with the public,” she noted.
This year’s show featured original works of art created by 102 students from who ranged in age from elementary school to high school level. The students came from 22 different Essex County schools. The students from Montclair whose artwork was featured in the exhibit are as follows:
-
Glenfield Middle School, Art Teacher Catherine Kondreck: Nicki Rose, Ellary Jenkins, Victoria Raines, Jackson Martin and Gus Moore-Manakas
-
Mount Hebron Middle School, Art Teachers Fran Legman and Arin Leard: Kathryn Brutzman, Alex Stubin, Elijah Valentine, Rachel Phillips, Sheila Estrada, Madeline Reath, Yabesera Yemane, Lucy Ziesing and Chris Last
The Student Art Exhibit is part of the County Executive’s initiative to recognize the accomplishments of Essex County students. The Executive also has hosted recognition ceremonies for the top high school basketball, track and field and girls’ softball teams. High-achieving students from the Essex County Vocational-Technical School System are also recognized each month during the Executive’s Teamwork Award Program.