By KELLY GIULIANO
Staff Writer
The 2017-18 State Teen Arts Touring Visual Arts Exhibit was on display at the Middletown Arts Center up until April.
The annual tour kicked off July 20, 2017, at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood and will run until May, wrapping up at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts at Ocean County College.
“The art displayed in this collection represents the highest caliber of talent from the state,” said New Jersey State Teen Arts Coordinator and part-time puppeteer Harrison H. Haney.
According to Haney, in order to be considered for the tour, artists must first have their work judged at a county level. If an artist is invited to move forward, they will find themselves at the annual New Jersey State Teen Arts Festival, where their artwork is critiqued by a panel of experts. From there, the state determines whether a student’s submission qualifies for the year-long tour.
According to the Teen Arts website, the three-day festival has proven to be extremely beneficial to striving artists, as they are offered feedback that is said to significantly improve their work.
While the premise of the Teen Arts Festival is said to showcase exceptional individual talent, any student is able is to attend and all are encouraged to participate in workshops and masterclasses in order to procure wisdom in their areas of interest.
During the Teen Arts Tour, individual works are chosen and showcased in different venues throughout the state. After the final stop of the tour, the exhibit will circle back to the next Teen Arts Festival, where a new batch of artists will be selected for the upcoming year.
This year, an accumulation of 45 paintings, drawings and photographs were selected among thousands of entries submitted from 15 counties.
“The work is very high level. These are teens. You would be surprised at the quality of work they turn in,” Executive Art Director Anthony Petito said.
Although these events place a high emphasis on the arts, Haney likes to offer aspiring artists a glimpse of reality while chasing after a dream. Those with the intrinsic flair for the arts are encouraged to pursue their passions full force, but remain grounded while doing so.
“Be passionate. Be creative. But always take into account the practicalities of life. Follow your dreams, but get a degree in accounting,” said Haney.