The Gold Coast Arts Center welcomed students, families, and friends to the 2022 Festival of the Arts Student Art Exhibit on Thursday, April 28 at the arts center, located in Great Neck.
State Assemblywoman Gina L. Sillitti presented awards for achievement to eleven students.
The ongoing exhibit features works of art produced by student artists, ages 4 to 17, as well as adult artists.
Brightly colored canvases of floral circular art were on display at the entrance to the Art Gallery, leading to an array of creative work on the walls of the Arts Center, even on the ceiling! Students enjoyed a unique experience of making large-scale paintings with acrylic and spray paint to create “sky murals” inspired by Michelangelo.
Regina Gil, executive director of Gold Coast Arts welcomed students and families into the Art Gallery to celebrate the achievements of the students in the school she founded in 1995.
“Congratulations to our students and their families for the diligence and work that is displayed on these walls. Congratulations, too, to our dedicated, talented teachers for their ability to inspire such creativity, and to our School Directors and administrative staff for supporting them,” Gil said. “It is a real pleasure seeing faces at the Arts Center again!”
Children as young as 4 constructed intricate 3-dimensional flower arrangements; and a stop motion demonstration of Claymation, featuring student work in the cartooning and animation class captured the imagination. Geometric portrait designs utilizing gold paint and reminiscent of African art, were features of the advanced art classes, as well as magical renderings of the Northern Lights.
“I’m so proud of all the students for their beautiful artwork, and it was wonderful to meet the honored artists to congratulate them personally. Having a thriving art scene is so important to the spirit of every community, and we are so lucky to have the Gold Coast Arts Center in ours,” said Sillitti.
Ellen Schiff, school director, and advanced arts teacher curated the exhibit as part of the annual Festival of the Arts.
“Our arts program teaches students the foundations of art in an engaging and fun way,” Schiff said. “The language of art and a variety of skills are taught to even the youngest students.”
Festival of the Arts culminates with the annual dance recital, a year-end event held this year at Great Neck South Middle School on Sunday, May 22.
The recital showcases the talents of the school’s students. The accomplished Dance Competition Team will also take the stage.
Many months go into the design and choreography of these performances. Genres such as Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Lyrical/Contemporary will be performed. Best of all, students will be returning to a live performance format again! The student art exhibit will run through June.
