Published: May 14, 2008 01:42 pm         

ORLEANS COUNTY: Student art work is on display

On display at the Genesee-Orleans Regional Council on the Art’s satellite galleries in Albion and Medina are the pieces that placed in the 10th annual Student Art Competition.

Twelve high school students from Orleans and Genesee County received awards for their multi-media artwork, based on technique and content.

Medina’s Russian exchange student, Nastya Kurbanova, placed first among the Orleans County participants for her untitled piece completed with marker.

Medina student Christina Werth placed second for “The Gaze,” completed with marker; and Albion student Jessica Gates placed third for the pencil drawing “Nature.”

Honorable mentions were awarded to Medina student Maria Roldan for “Me!” completed with marker; Medina student Emily Furness for the paper collage “Musical Feelings”; and Holley resident Jessica Widmer for the watercolor “Child’s Dream.”

Twenty-two Orleans County students participated, said Go ART! Program Director Patricia Hawley. The art teachers at each high school chose which student pieces were the best for submission. One of the only requirements was that the art be two-dimensional.

Retired Holley art teacher Tony Barry served as the sole Orleans County judge. He made his selections in early May, and the winners went on to compete in the annual Congressional Art Competition.

“They’re wonderful,” said Cynthia Kiebala, Orleans County outreach coordinator for Go ART!. “(They are) a very talented group of people — the imagination, the technique.”

Students entered pieces completed in any of a number of mediums: Acrylics, watercolor, pen and ink and pencil. As the years past, more and more submit digital photography and computer-generated art, Hawley said.

Medina seniors Kurbanova and Roldan used a technique they learned in art teacher Jennifer Scott’s photojournalism class called pointillism. The pieces are self-portraits.

Werth’s pointillism piece is of a woman looking directly at the viewer with a small lace veil. The Medina junior completed it on her own time, and Scott thought it was so good she submitted it in the competition.

Furness completed her collage depicting music notes in Medina art teacher Sarah Howland’s class.

Kiebala said she found the pointillism pieces intriguing: “I can’t believe the patience that must take,” she said.

“It’s very inspiring, too, I think,” Hawley said. “You do see where kids are thinking about war and poverty — it’s coming out in their artwork.”

Scott’s class took a field trip to the Medina satellite gallery a few weeks ago to view and critique the students’ artwork. Most of the pieces are framed; the rest are matted.

The winners and students who received honorable mention were thrilled, Scott said.

“The kids were really impressed to see them hanging up and on display,” she said. “It is always a wonderful feeling when the students are acknowledged like that.”

The Genesee County winners are Sarah Butzbach of LeRoy, Sabrina Twardowski of Batavia, Nate Buys of Pavilion, Linsay Barthold of Pembroke, Dana Torcello of Batavia and Kayla Twardowski of Batavia. Sabrina Twardowski went on to win the Congressional Art Competition for “Hands Holding Globe.” Her sister, Kayla, won last year’s Congressional Art Competition.

A reception to honor all of the Orleans County students who submitted a piece will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. May 21 at each satellite gallery — the Shirt Factory Cafe, 115 W. Center St., Medina; and the Albion Visitors Center, 121 N. Main St. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided.

The students art pieces will hang at both sites until the end of June.

“The winners will be identified by ribbons. Everyone’s work is hanging,” Hawley said. “It’s really for the community to see what these students are doing ... in school.”

Contact reporter Nicole Colemanat 798-1400, ext. 2227.