After a five-year hiatus, Morris Arts is thrilled to announce the return of the Blackwell Street Juried Student Exhibit – its 31st – to the Atrium Gallery!! Over 500 people attended the Opening Reception which took place on Thursday, March 30, 2023, from 6-8pm, at the Atrium Gallery, located on Floors 2-5 of the Morris County Administration and Records Building, 10 Court Street in Morristown. Kudos to the Blackwell Street original artists/organizers, David Gruol and Peggy Dressel, for undertaking the massive effort to revive this exceptional (and much beloved) show, after the death of founding artist, Elaine Provost, and the ensuing pandemic.
L-R: Vedant Patel’s Tranquility (Randolph HS); Marco Maselli’s Cruisin’ (Delbarton); Matias Martin’s Robot Man (Morris Hills); Selina Huang’s Crazed (Chatham).
Despite the many obstacles, 550 artworks from 17 high schools throughout Morris County were submitted for consideration, demonstrating the resilience of this special community. Embracing a wide variety of media (sculpture, oil, acrylic, collage, multimedia, etching, charcoal, pen and ink, graphite, digital, photography, etc.), these artworks are a stunning tribute to the creativity, skill, and passion of these young talents.
L-R: Best in Show winner, Sam Gibbon’s Aloof (Delbarton); Caroline Mazurek’s Self Portrait (Montville Township); Rob Alexy’s Cacophony of Verticals (Delbarton); Charlie Henne’s Repeated Downfall (Chatham).
A panel of professional artists from the Blackwell Street Center for the Arts selected approximately 225 wall-hung works and 50 sculptures/ceramic works from among the 550 submissions, evaluating and installing the works on all four floors of the gallery. There are multiple ribbon categories, with Best in Show and the 1st Place winners receiving monetary prizes. The opening reception featured a student violin trio from Randolph High School, an awards presentation (in the 5th floor County Commissioners Meeting Room) and the opportunity to meet these talented young artists in person.
Evolving from a 1988 exhibit that featured approximately 40 pieces of art, the present-day Blackwell Street Juried Student Exhibit 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. In past years, hundreds of students, parents, teachers, and friends attend in support of these exceptional young artists.
Here are some scenes from the opening reception:
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- Blackwell Street artists/organizers Peggy Dressel and Dave Gruol
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- Three Randolph HS violinists
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- Eager crowds
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- Enjoying the show
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- Viewing the award winning artworks
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- More gatherings
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- Awaiting the award ceremony
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- Packed house at the awards
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- Maddy Provost, daughter of late founder Elaine Provost, announces the Provost Award for Best in Show
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- Sam Gibbons (Delbarton), gets Best In Show award from Maddy Provost, Dave Gruol – for his work “Aloof”
Morris Arts manages the Atrium Art Gallery, selecting artists and scheduling exhibits on behalf of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners. The Atrium Gallery is free and open to the public during business hours, from 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday-Friday and on Thursday evenings until 7:30pm. The exhibit will run from March 30, 2023 through April 27, 2023. For additional information about the show, contact Dr. Lynn L. Siebert, Director of Galleries for Morris Arts, (973) 285-5115, ext. 10 or Lsiebert@morrisarts.org