Huntington Artists on Display in Northport Village

The artwork of eight Huntington High School students on exhibit at the Firefly Gallery on Main Street in Northport Village showcases the excitement they have for the photography curriculum at their school.

The student show, the Artists on the Rise Exhibit, will be on display throughout the month of June at the Firefly, 90 Main Street, Northport, a cooperative gallery run by member artists whose work is on permanent display there. They lease prime space in the center of the gallery to guest artists, which is where the students’ work is currently on display.

All eight students were in attendance at the recent opening reception. The group includes Jack Ruthkowski, Jack Semelsberger, Layna Abraham, Aria Hannah, Samantha Koepele, Jada Joseph, William Berry and Rachel Learned. They are all rising seniors with the exception of Ms. Hannah, who graduated with the Class of 2023 last Friday night.

During an interview at the gallery, Mr. Ruthkowski said the aim of the show was to get a cross section of work, most of it photography, by students who are all in the same photography classes.

“We have some landscapes, we have some portraits, we have some nature photography and architectural photography—a little bit of everything,” he said. “We wanted to display what Huntington is able to show as a school that has a really good art program.”

The students hung their artwork on a recent Friday, an ordeal because the label machine they were using malfunctioned. “We didn’t want it to look super organized with everything in line. We wanted people to look at one thing then another without their eyes having to go straight up or staring down in a line,” Mr. Ruthkowski said.

As for the Firefly, Mr. Ruthkowski said it is a great opportunity for the students to share their work in an eclectic environment. “It is a really cool opportunity here. I like that they rent out the space to local artists. It really pulls from all different things. There is jewelry, photography, paintings, and sculptures. It has a little bit of everything.”

Mr. Ruthkowski’s mother, Christine Memoli, has her work on display at the Firefly and when the students began thinking about displaying their work publicly she suggested they try the Northport gallery space. He pitched the idea to the Firefly and they were offered the exhibit space for the second half of June.

“We love showcasing young artists every chance we get,” Firefly managing partner Kathryn Laible said during an interview at the opening reception. “I think it is unusual to have this level of student driven work exhibited at the gallery. It’s not a teacher who came to us, it’s not some kind of institution. These kids got themselves together and organized the exhibition and brought it to us. We think it is fantastic. They have done a very professional job.”

Ms. Laible said the students are lucky to have the photography program that is offered at Huntington High School. “It is really important to keep the arts in the schools,” she said. “I’ve seen the engagement online. They love the program and the program loves them back. You can see the talent. They are really incredible, whether it’s portraiture or landscape photography, they are really doing a fantastic job and I think that education is going to serve them well.”

At Huntington High School, the photography program is taught by Pamela Piffard. It is a three-year curriculum that starts with Introduction to Photography in which the students shoot with film cameras. They next take Advanced Photography, which is the class taken this past semester by the students who are showing their work at the Firefly. The final class is Advanced Placement (AP) Photography, which includes college credit and can lead to a career path for some students.

Mr. Ruthkowski said in AP Photography, which he will take as a senior next year, the students design the course the way they want it to be. “It is a really, really interesting program and I’m excited about that,” he said, adding that he loves the Huntington photography program.

To Mr. Ruthkowski photography is a hobby, but his ambition is to go into aquatic biology and study marine ecosystems. He said all three of his photos in the Firefly show were taken in a local pond. “It allows me to take pictures of what I’m researching and experimenting with in the future,” he concluded.

“I think it’s really cool,” said Jada Joseph, one of the students exhibiting her work at the Firefly. “I love having the opportunity to show off my work whenever I can and I am really excited.”

Ms. Joseph said she loves the Firefly and she walks around it whenever she is in Northport Village. “I love to be able to show my work here, so I am very grateful,” she said.

As for the photography program at Huntington High School, Ms. Joseph lit up talking about it. “It’s really good,” she said. “I learned photography through school. I didn’t have any knowledge of it beforehand and it made me the photographer I am today. So I’m grateful for that. And the teachers there are amazing and they all love photography, which makes it even better.”

About evolving through the program from shooting film first and then transitioning to digital photography, Ms. Joseph said it is a good way to learn the art form. “Personally I love film. Film is my favorite and I actually have pieces here that are from film from last year,” she said. “I think it’s really cool that kids are learning how to use film because most kids learn how to shoot on their phone and they don’t really know the art of photography. I think shooting with film really showed me that.”

Each of the students wrote a short statement that accompanies their work in the exhibit. “When I got my first photo project I was filled with this rush of excitement and creativity and I just let the ideas flow. This art show is a way to show how far I’ve come with my ideas and how I’ve changed in a creative aspect over the years,” Ms. Learned wrote.

Ms. Hannah will attend Pratt Institute in the fall where she will study fashion design. “My work is inspired by many things such as music, culture and the everyday struggle of a teenager living in the 21st Century. I create through many different mediums but primarily I use sewing and photography to express myself,” she wrote.

“I enjoy telling a story through the use of my camera. When I take the photos and edit them, I try to keep a sense of contrast and color to give a dramatic effect. I look forward to continuing my journey in photography,” wrote Ms. Abrams.

Mr. Semelsberger said he developed a love of photography at four years old when he used his dad’s cell phone to take photographs of people in Times Square. “I’m a photographer who mainly focuses on conceptual and in-the-moment pictures,” he wrote. “I’m grateful to be featured alongside these wonderful artists for the Artists on the Rise Exhibit, artists who I consider friends as well as inspirations to me.”

The work on display at the Firefly gallery “blew away” the teenager’s photography teacher. “These students are constantly impressing me,” Mrs. Piffard said. “Their hard work and dedication is a testament to who they are as people. They worked together to accomplish something truly beautiful.”

(David Ambro contributed this story.)