WESTWOOD—Congratulations to this year’s bounty of talented young artists, the 14 finalists in WWRSD has heART, in the Westwood Regional Art Department and Westwood Gallery’s 10th Annual program.
The K-12 finalists and their families enjoyed an opening reception and awards ceremony Feb. 3 at Westwood Regional High School’s Sanschagrin Art Gallery.
The show then was moved for display at Westwood Gallery, 10 Westwood Ave. in Westwood, Feb. 7–19, where notecards and prints of the winning images are on sale.
The festivities typically take place at Westwood Gallery, which makes for a snug fit given the happy mob that ensues. For safety amid Covid, this year it was held at the much more capacious school. In 2021, the event was virtual.
Thanks to the generosity of the gallery over the past decade, the district said, 140 works of art by WWRSD students have graced their walls and been much admired by the community.
Organizers were taking orders for 8-inch by 10-inch prints and notecards of the winning images, and 10th anniversary T-shirts.
All profits will be donated, once again to Artworks: The Naomi Cohain Foundation. To place an order, write pamela.duffus@wwrsd.org.
WWRSD has HeART has a long history as a student art exhibit on the healing power of art. Students were encouraged to reflect on what it means to care and create an original work of art in response.
More than 140 images were submitted, and a committee of administrators and art educators selected 14 winning images.
District superintendent Jill Mortimer posted, “Thank you to the WW Visual Arts Department and the Westwood Gallery for sponsoring this event. Thank you to the principals and art teachers for attending.”
The finalists:
- Berkeley Elementary School:Audrey Crisostomo and Thea Baek; teacher Barbara Portelli.
- Brookside Elementary School: Emily Hivry and Lucca Cotoia; teacher Barbara Portelli.
- Jessie George Elementary School: Evelyn Lee and Anthony Muoio; teacher Stacey Becan.
- Washington Elementary School: Mariam Hussain and Malak Hamzeh; teacher Stacey Becan.
- Westwood Regional Middle School: Elizabeth Maul and Amanda Picinic; teachers Ava Baratti and Lynda Panno.
- Westwood Regional High School: Hailey Nicholson, Olivia Faiken, Sophia Bazzanella, and Michael Cordo; Poster Design Winner Makayla Sanchez; teachers Patrick Brennan, Pamela Duffus, Michele Keller, Ariel Rudin, and Michelle Stoute.
Signature winners:
- Westwood Gallery Award went to Michael Cordo.
- Artworks Award went to Lucca Cotoia.
The event’s poster is by Katherine Kalin (2020). The event establishes the following year’s poster; in 2023, WWRSD has heART’s poster will be by 2022 Poster Design Winner Makayla Sanchez.
Westwood Gallery owner Michael Fitzsimmons told Pascack Press on Feb. 10, “It makes us happy in the middle of winter and leads up to Valentine’s Day, but seeing all the winners from the past 10 years is impressive.”
He added, “It’s a really democratic process; it’s not like it’s curated. You have big debates about which to include or which not to include.”
He said, “Art appeals to people in different ways and they say it’s in the eye of the beholder so in that sense it’s a a much broader exhibit.”
Founded in 2002, ArtWorks, The Naomi Cohain Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the healthcare experience of pediatric patients through the arts.
ArtWorks provides children and young adults, birth to 24 facing chronic and life-limiting illnesses, and their families, access to creative and performing arts programs that serve as a vehicle for healing, communication, self-expression and personal development.
Its programs include:
- Teaching Artists Program invites Teaching Artists into the hospital setting to offer Young Artists workshops and one-on-one sessions.
- Surprise!Supplies brings art supplies and craft kits to Young Artists through mobile art carts, providing opportunities to create throughout the day, especially for Young Artists who are not able to leave their beds.
- Express Yourself is an annual creative and performing arts exhibition inviting New York and New Jersey Young Artists to take part in a program of awe-inspiring performances and a gallery exhibition.
WWRSD.org shows all winning images. For more information, visit westwoodartgallery.com or call (201) 666-1800.
