Huntington Artists on Exhibit at High Arts Showcase

Seven Huntington High School student-artists are exhibiting work at the Huntington Arts Council’s “High Arts Showcase XIX” at the Main Street Gallery in the village through April 16.

Huntington student-artists with pieces on display include Gianni Portillo, Victoria Befumo, Anna Bell Young, Nikolai Seferian, Katerina Damiano, Annika Galvin and Molly Heffernan. An opening reception is set for Friday, March 24 from 4-7 p.m.

The exhibit will run through April 16. It showcases the work of several dozen gifted junior and senior artists from the eight Long Island school districts that participate in the Huntington Arts Council’s Journey program, “which fosters the appreciation of cultural diversity through the arts.”

The exhibit features a wide range of work across various media forms that include oil, watercolor, digital photography, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, fabric and collage.

The seven Huntington High School students with pieces on display in the showcase are joined by top artists from the Cold Spring Harbor, Commack, Harborfields, Kings Park, Northport-East Northport, South Huntington and Plainview-Old Bethpage school districts.

The Huntington artists with work on exhibit include:

Gianni Portillo

Grade: 12

Size: 14w x 62h x 10d

Title: Webbed Up

Medium: Fabric and Lace

Teacher: Kim Valerio

Student Bio:

“I find myself being drawn to more grunge/dark attributes when it comes to fashion. Old decades trends also inspire me a lot. I draw inspiration from people I think embody dark grunge aesthetic.”

Student Artist Statement:

There is not much inspiration behind the dress besides personal style. I’m very into gothic elements with very dark tones. This dress is a perfect depiction of what comes to my mind when I think of fashion. I chose to add spiders to my dress because although they may be scary, they are beautiful creatures and adding them to a dress would give it a hint of gothic elements that would elevate the dress and make it more unconventional. The spiders falling off give the dress a very edgy look. A perfect model for this dress would be Morticia Addams, as she exudes gothic chic energy in all her dark clothing pieces.

Victoria Befumo

Grade: 12

Size: 16 x 20 framed

Title: Illusions

Medium: Photography

Teacher: Pamela Piffard

Student Bio:

“Hi, I am Victoria Befumo, senior at Huntington High School. I’ve always had a passion for photography and have spent this last year really focusing on my portfolio and working on a series of images that explore superstitions. Although still undecided where I will attend, I have recently been accepted to Temple University as well as other universities, where I plan to pursue a career in photography and graphic design.”

Student Artist Statement:

People believe in superstitions because they provide a sense of comfort and assurance in a chaotic world. For example, the idea that knocking on wood prevents bad luck gives many people a sense of control over their circumstances. In the image presented in this show, I explored the old-time superstition that if you have your photograph taken the camera will steal your soul. I created an illusion that the person was partially missing in the image to convey this feeling. I considered how the elements in the frame worked together to find the perfect balance in my image.

Anna Bell Young

Grade: 12

Size: 16 x 20 framed

Title: BLISS

Medium: Photography

Teacher: Pamela Piffard

Student Bio:

“I am Anna Bell Young, a senior at Huntington High School. Photography has always been something I am passionate about, but it wasn’t until high school that I truly explored my interests. I am a very curious person and I love to connect with new people. Photography has been an outlet for me to not only express my ideas, but learn about others in the process. I am inspired by people and strive to preserve the emotions they embody in my work.”

Student Artist Statement:

Photography has captured the attention and imagination of the world for over a century and a half. As a form of communication, it has had a profound impact on our society, becoming an indispensable tool for communicating memories and experiences, telling stories, and inspiring action. The images I am currently producing explore the personality traits of all 12 zodiac signs. Represented in this image is the Sagittarius sign that is associated with the notion of wanderlust and the desire for freedom.

Nikolai Seferian

Grade: 12

Size: 16 x 20

Title: Fractured Mind

Medium: Digital/Mixed Media

Teacher: Kasmira Mohanty

Student Bio:

“For a long time, I was incapable of drawing a straight line or getting any type of drawing implement to move where I wanted. I loved looking at, hearing about, and marking art but it seemed like my hands would never make what I saw so clearly in my mind. That all changed when I took my first Computer Graphics class at Huntington High School. I learned a variety of techniques, including how to use a drawing tablet. I was finally able to illustrate so many of my ideas, including artistic challenges I had never even thought of. For one of the challenges as an Advanced Computer Graphics student, I created a digital painting of a deconstructed ramen noodle bowl using a drawing tablet. I was amazed that it was selected for an article called Delicious Design in SchoolArts Magazine and was also selected for the cover of that issue. I was so grateful to have my work seen by so many and again via this show. I have definitely developed a passion for this type of art making and hope to find time in my busy schedule to make some more.”

Student Artist Statement:

This artwork Fractured Mind, formerly titled Young in Mind, was initially inspired by my misinterpretation of a portrait painting of August Heckscher by Penrhyn Stanlaws that was part of an exhibition at the Heckscher Museum about a year ago. I originally thought the portrait was of August Heckscher with a younger portrait of himself in the background. I later researched that it was simply a portrait of August Heckscher with his young nephew in the background. Inspired by my initial misinterpretation I felt drawn to create a self-portrait juxtaposing the current trials in my life with the innocence of my younger self. My older self is distracted, trying to hold everything together and is torn between the realities of transitioning into adulthood and my attempt to hold onto the wonders and simplicity of childhood. This piece demonstrates the struggle to meld the two worlds together. My younger self is defiant, staring directly at the viewer declaring that he still exists and is defiant against the passing of time and growing older.

Katerina Damiano

Grade: 12

Title: Take the Wheel

Medium: Video

Teacher: Heather Swan

Student Profile:

Katerina Damiano has been in the HHS video program for four years.  She is currently a 12th grader waiting for her acceptance into a university where she will be continuing her studies in the film. “Take the Wheel: is a short dramatic story that Ms. Damiano wrote, directed and edited about a young kid having to make a tough decision.

Annika Galvin

Grade: 12

Title: The Sun Maiden

Medium: Gouache and Colored Pencils

Teacher: Kristin Singer

Student Bio:

“Every day, in near constant nature, I am inspired by the world around me. I tend to see beauty and detail in everything, whether that be something as sharp as rays of sunlight or as alluding as wisps of smoke in the air. In all my pieces, I try to translate these elements onto paper as intricately as I can.”

Student Artist Statement:

This piece is part of a larger set of works that focuses on looking back at past memories, and trying to find the beauty that it has happened instead of sadness that the moment is gone. I include inspiration in composition from John Bauer, who was an illustrator who drew many characters in the Swedish fairytale books I read as a kid. I wanted to emulate a softer background with gouache, so as contrast I used a thin colored pencil to get thin, “spiritual” lines that seem to grow down from the sunlight through the trees. I originally did much character design for the silhouette in the illustration, but I figured there would be more significance to making the figure into those spiritual lines as well.

Molly Heffernan

Grade: 12

Title: Pressure

Medium: Clay and Glass

Teacher: Ayallah Jeddah

Student Bio:

“I am a senior in Huntington High School and have been taking a ceramics class every year since my freshman year. I took this class not knowing the significance it would have on me and that it has now become my safe haven. This is the place I can branch out and express myself creatively.”

Student Artist Statement:

When I first planned this piece out, I was so excited because not only was I attached to my artistic idea, but also to the meaning behind it. This piece is a simple face with a mask on it created using clay with a mosaic background. I knew I wanted to incorporate some kind of mosaic design as I have always loved working with these miniature puzzle pieces. Pressure represents people who feel pressured to hide their true feelings by putting a mask on in front of people. I wanted to show symbolism by creating this beautiful masquerade eye piece resembling how a person may make their life seem perfect and pleasing from the outside. The mosaic background implies the real chaotic and broken life the person is actually dealing with. I incorporated the broken mirror pieces as a main part of the mosaic design as a way to invite the viewer to see themselves behind the mask. I love the idea of using such a simplistic yet beautiful method to really capture what many people are going through. This is also personal to me as I myself and so many others relate to putting this mask on for people.