Student art competition celebrates 15th year

Winners of the 15th annual Monmouth Festival of the Arts Student Art Competition display their artwork. Pictured are: Jordon Wason (l-r), of Henry Hudson High School; Leah Passafiume, of Wall High School; and Hong Yang, of Red Bank Regional High School. Winners of the 15th annual Monmouth Festival of the Arts Student Art Competition display their artwork. Pictured are: Jordon Wason (l-r), of Henry Hudson High School; Leah Passafiume, of Wall High School; and Hong Yang, of Red Bank Regional High School. TINTON FALLS — The creativity of students from throughout Monmouth County was recognized at the Student Art Competition on Sunday, Jan. 31

The Monmouth Festival of the Arts held its 15th Student Art Competition at Monmouth Reform Temple.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Monmouth Festival of the Arts.

The Student Art Competition included entries from nearly 50 juniors from a dozen Monmouth County high schools.

The show featured various mediums, including drawings in pencil, ink and pastels, paintings in acrylic, photography and sculpture.

Taking first place for a photo and watercolor combined art work was Jordan Wason, of Henry Hudson Regional High School, for “New York City Scenes.” Wason is a resident of Atlantic Highlands.

Second-place honors went to Leah Passafiume, of Wall High School, for her oil pastel titled “Fortune Cookies.”

Hong Yang, of Red Bank Regional High School (RBR), won third place for “Words of Wisdom,” a portrait of a woman drawn in marker. The outlines of the form were created by written words. Yang is from Shrewsbury. The winners were awarded cash prizes.

Five honorable mentions were also awarded: RBR student Anthony Wriston, of Red Bank, for his photograph titled “At the Bottom of Everything”; RBR student Andrea Squassi, of Shrewsbury, for her chalk pastel “Woodloch Pines”; Ranney School student Charlotte Fleming, of Rumson, for her “Self Portrait” in graphite on paper; Olivia Caruso, of Wall High School, for her chalk work titled “Quiet,” and Freehold Township High School student Erica Kawas, of Freehold Township, for her acrylic “Terra Cotta Bowl with Painting.”

The works were judged by Bob Matarangelo, an artist working in digital video, animation, painting and sculpture and a teacher at Ocean County Community College; Patricia Hutchinson, a Fulbright Scholar with a doctorate in design and technology education; and Colleen Lineberry, a fiber artist and painter and professor at Brookdale Community College.

In addition to the art competition, the students participated in two workshops to enhance their portfolio presentations as they prepare to enter other competitions or create submissions to colleges and art schools to further their study of the arts.

Dave McGrath, a pen-and-ink artist who has displayed his work at the Festival of the Arts, presented a portfolio workshop. He offered the students some practical information on how to economically and attractively display their artwork and create a portfolio presentation. Lesley Vidich presented a hands-on workshop on reviewing the elements and principles of art so that students could create a strong composition for portfolio submissions.

All the commended students will have their work displayed at the arts festival, which runs April 17-21 at the Monmouth Reform Temple. Festival activities include artist demonstrations, children’s programs, and evening art lectures.

For a schedule of events and times, visit the website www.monmouthfestivalofthearts. com, call 732-747-8278, or email [email protected].