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"Putting Essex County First"

20 Mar ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE WELCOMES STUDENT ARTISTS TO ESSEX COUNTY HALL OF RECORDS County Partners with Art Educators of New Jersey for 13th Consecutive Year to Highlight the Creative Talents of Essex County’s Students

Posted at 17:17h in Press Release by

Published on March 20, 2017

abington nwk belleville high east orange comm charter rae kushner liv

Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. and the Art Educators of New Jersey welcomed 96 students from throughout Essex County to the Hall of Records for the Art Educators of New Jersey student art exhibit on Monday, March 20th. This is the 13th consecutive year DiVincenzo has partnered with the Art Educators of New Jersey to present the student artists exhibit at the Hall of Records.

During the month of March, the first-floor lobby of the Hall of Records was transformed into a student art gallery. Employees and visitors to the county building were treated to the colorful and lifelike portraits, paintings and drawings.

“Essex County has some very creative and talented student artists at all age levels from elementary to high school. The original artwork that is included in our exhibit is truly inspiring,” DiVincenzo said. “I am proud to have been a partner with the Art Educators of New Jersey to present this exhibit. This is an opportunity to promote our students’ positive achievements and enables the general public to see the talent in our schools,” he added.

“Art is often overlooked, especially during budget time because some people view it as something that can be cut. But when we expose children to music, art and language, they become a better well-rounded student both in testing and academics, and even as a better person overall,” NJ State Senator and Essex County Deputy Chief of Staff Teresa Ruiz said, adding that she enjoys seeing the artwork displayed in the lobby.

“This is a wonderful observance to emphasize the value of art education for children of all ages and encourage support for art programs in our public schools,” said Catherine Kondreck, Chairwoman of the 2017 New Jersey Art Educators of New Jersey Essex County Exhibit. “These students have worked very hard and it is wonderful to have them receive this recognition. Kudos to them and our county leaders for continuing to put Essex County and our children first! We especially want to thank the County Executive for giving us the opportunity to share the talents of our students with the public,” she noted.

This year’s show featured original works of art created by 96 students who ranged in age from elementary school to high school level. The students came from 14 different Essex County schools. The students whose drawings and paintings that were featured in the exhibit are as follows:

  • Abington Avenue Elementary School in Newark: Alejandro Echevarria, Solange Valladolid, Brandon Ruiz, Dayanara Serrano, Gabrielle Agosto, Fabiana Martinez, Joel Martin, Stephanie Penafiel, Jessica Feliciano and Katrina Cuadrado
  • Belleville High School: Emily Mendez, Victoria Torres, Alex Luna, Daniel Fuentes, Mariah Martinez, Desiree Torres, Trinidy Quintero, Charlaine Mondesir, Ruqaya Embaby, Bryan Then, Priya Gill, Sheena Williams, Jasmine Cotto, Danae Andino and Carla Cagandahan
  • Belleville Elementary School #3: Jelena Santiago, Alyssa Gianna Torres, Amanda Diaz, Evelyn Cherres and Julia Fiona Sto Domingo
  • Bradford Elementary School in Montclair: Andrew Kingsworth, Sophie Silverman, Sophie Jacobs, Sarah Harmon and Avani Pasala
  • East Orange Community Charter School in East Orange: Akeem Langevine, Eden Tom-James, Infinite Sincere-Amen Ra, Eloghosa Osarenmwinda and Joardan Joiner
  • Elliott Street Elementary School in Newark: Milexis Idrovo, Angelly M. Soto, Elyas Mateo, Javier Galo and Miguel Reyes
  • Glenfield Middle School in Montclair: Tatyanna Thomas, Skylar Hsieh, Chloe Wiederhorn, Ella Simons, Tobia Ruth, Sydney Kovel, Sophie Bugat, Jada Karim, Miranda McLannahan, Christina Qiu and Shea Lerner
  • Glenwood Elementary School in Short Hills: Emery Walls, Sophie Lu, Irene Yang, Kaia Talathi and Jack Tuso
  • Liberty Middle School in West Orange: Lesly Flores, Julia Spellman, Natalie Menor, Emily Morales, Amy Bryan, Kyia Ricks, Aaron Bunker and Ebun Adegbite
  • Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston: Lindsay Getraer, Aviva Sosha Weisz, Hila Gilmore and Noa Mobilio
  • Rosa Parks Community School in Orange: Marelin Cax-Ramos, Sedaine Davis, Brinny Morocho, Nathan Mirabeau and Brenda Palencia
  • Roseville Community Charter School in Newark: Kayleen Mejia, Aideliz Moya, Ekeoma Agumanu, Adrian Sobrido and Arianna Ordonez
  • Thomas Edison Middle School in West Orange: Tyler Harwood and Rose Kwok
  • Trinity Academy in Caldwell: Laurent Keenan, Elisabeth Prioletti, Raymond Gajewski II, Sophia Sosnoski and Gerard Perillo
  • West Essex Regional Middle School in Caldwell: Anna Rose Mihalik, Jessica Moresco, Ava Buccino, Conner Decker and Olivia Andros

The Student Art Exhibit is part of the County Executive’s initiative to recognize the accomplishments of Essex County students. The Executive also has hosted recognition ceremonies for the top high school basketball, track and field and softball teams. High-achieving students from the Essex County Vocational-Technical School System are also recognized during the Executive’s Teamwork Award Program.