As the April 29th closing looms, be sure to make time to see the 26th annual Blackwell Street Juried Student Exhibit which attracted over 400 people to its March 28th opening. Located on Floors 2-5 of the Morris County Administration and Records Building, 10 Court Street in Morristown, the exhibit encompasses a very wide variety of media (sculpture, oil, acrylic, collage, multimedia, drypoint etching, charcoal, pen and ink, graphite, photography, etc.), the artworks are a stunning tribute to the creativity, skill and passion of these young artists from throughout Morris County.
A panel of five professional artists (Elaine Provost, David Gruol, Annette Hanna, Linda Aldrich, John Power – with help from Roy Provost) from the Blackwell Street Center for the Arts comprises the jury selecting approximately 300 works from nearly 650 submissions by talented high school students from throughout the County. The show is then organized, hung and administered by the all-volunteer members of the Blackwell Street Center for the Arts, their friends and family. There were multiple ribbon categories, with Best In Show and the 1st Place ribbons receiving monetary prizes. The opening reception included an awards presentation (on the 5th floor, in the Freeholder meeting room) and the opportunity to meet these talented young artists in person.
Above: Best in Show, Joy Liu’s acrylic, April Rain (Mountain Lakes)
L-R: Aliston Duerwald’s pastel wash on board, Delicious ( Mendham); Katherine Lathrop’s oil, Sargent McQueen (Mendham); Tori Fessenden’s egg tempera, Tori; Michelle Mueller’s oil, David (Roxbury).
L-R: Joy Liu’s acrylic, The Starving Artist (Mountain Lakes); Ella Cusano’s paper and wood, Ballando Con Le Colori (Mendham); Sam Baker’s mixed media, Junkbot (Parsippany Hills); Taylor Hempstead’s acrylic, Step into my Shoes (Academy of St. Elizabeth).
L-R: Gabby Petrocelli’s ballpoint pen work, Rejected (Raphael meets Tim Burton) (Mendham); Peter Testa’s clay and glaze, Aldun (Roxbury); Danielle Winkler’s colored pencil, Untitled (Butler); Meghan Cooper’s bronze, Cephalopod (Mendham).
Evolving from an exhibit that, in 1988, featured approximately 90 pieces of art, to this current, massive undertaking, the Juried Student Show is unique in its democratic approach: there are no restrictions on the number of pieces a school can submit and submissions are open to public, private, parochial and home-schooled high school student artists from throughout Morris County. Each year, hundreds of students, parents, teachers and friends attend in support of these exceptional young artists.
Morris Arts manages the Atrium Art Gallery, selecting artists and scheduling exhibits on behalf of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The Atrium Gallery is free and open to the public during business hours, from 8am – 5pm on Mondays-Fridays. Free parking is provided during the reception in the garage underneath the building (accessed via Schuyler Place). The exhibit will run from March 28 through April29, 2014. For additional information about the show, contact Dr. Lynn L. Siebert, Gallery Director, and Director of Arts Participation & Communication for Morris Arts, (973) 285-5115, ext. 10 or Lsiebert@morrisarts.org
Hot off the press: Photos from the Opening Reception:
L-R: Best in Show artist Joy Liu with her mom in front of April Rain; SRO crowds at award ceremony; Blackwell St. artists Annette Hanna and David Gruol, two of the organizers of the exhibit; more crowds viewing artwork; Blackwell Street Center for the Arts organizers of the exhibit, Linda Aldrich, Dave Gruol, John Power, Roy Provost, Annette Hanna, and head of it all, Elaine Provost.
L-R: Crowds viewing the exhibit, on stairs and hallways; Mendham HS student Meghan Cooper with some of her prizewinning bronze sculptures.