by Elizabeth Vranka, Executive Director of OSilas Gallery at Concordia College

Jan. 22, 2020:  On January 16th, hundreds of students, family members, and art teachers came to OSilas Gallery at Concordia College New York for the opening of the annual StArt Regional High Schools Art Exhibition (“StArt”). On show are works from 90 talented artists representing 31 high schools from the Hudson Valley, the Bronx, and Southern Connecticut.

For the past 14 years, OSilas Gallery has organized its annual StArt exhibition to encourage and support high school artists by giving them the opportunity to showcase their work in a professional gallery and build their credentials and portfolios for college. Art faculty from each of the participating high schools are allowed to select up to three works for inclusion in the exhibition. The exhibition is juried by a panel of five art professionals, and Certificates of Excellence are given to top entries.

Rachel Sydlowski, the head of the Eastchester High School Art Department, speaking of the value of the StArt Exhibition, said, “For high school students who excel in the visual arts, StArt is an excellent opportunity for young artists to represent their school. They also engage in professional practice through preparing artwork, writing artist bios, and attending the exhibition. The fact that arts professionals serve on the jury closely mirrors the experience students will encounter in venturing out as artists.”

OSilas Gallery gratefully acknowledges the generous support of The Community Fund of Bronxville · Eastchester · Tuckahoe, the sponsor of StArt 2020.

The panel of judges for StArt 2020 comprised Nelle Davis, Art Instructor at OSilas Art Studio; Randy Frost, local fiber artist; Amie Hollmann, Adjunct Professor of New Media and Associate Director of Creative Services at Concordia College; Charles Little, Curator Emeritus at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters; and Nancy Little,former Director of the National Academy School of Fine Art (New York City). The panel selected the following artists to receive Certificates of Excellence for their submissions to StArt 2020:

Sakura Abdel-Rahman, senior, Eastchester High School, Watch Her Grow, ink and watercolor

Lucia Bautista, sophomore, The Montfort Academy, 2,173 Days, graphite on paper

Devon Del Castillo, senior, Pleasantville High School, Gold and Blue, hand-colored dry point etching

Christopher Moronto, sophomore, Salesian High School, The Mustache, wood sculpture

Morgan Sample, senior, Pelham High School, Vedika, oil on canvas

David Schwimmer, senior, Byram Hills High School, Just Another Day, ink, acrylic, and charcoal

Veronica Zawojek, senior, Byram Hills High School, Exoskeleton Wings, wicker and rice paper

Participating High Schools

Academy of Mount St. Ursula · Ardsley High School · Bronxville High School · Byram Hills High School · Clarkstown High School North · Darien High School · Eastchester High School · Edgemont High School · German International School · Harrison High School · Hastings High School · Keio Academy of New York · Lincoln High School (Yonkers) · Mamaroneck High School · Maria Regina High School · The Montfort Academy · Nellie A. Thornton High School (Mt. Vernon) · Ossining High School · Pelham Memorial High School · Pleasantville High School · Riverside High School (Yonkers) · Rye Neck High School · Sacred Heart Greenwich · Saint Catherine Academy · Salesian High School · Scarsdale High School · School of the Holy Child · Tuckahoe High School · Valhalla High School · Walter Panas High School (Lakeland) · Westlake High School

StArt 2020 will be on view through January 25th and is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Tues/Wed/Fri noon-5pm, Thurs noon-7pm, and Sat 2-5 pm.   OSilas Gallery is located on the campus of Concordia College, 171 White Plains Road, Bronxville, in the Donald A. Krenz Academic Center on the second level of Scheele Memorial Library. Free and ample parking is available on campus. For more information on exhibitions and a full listing of gallery events, please see osilasgallery.org.

Photos courtesy OSilas Gallery

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