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RBR Students Place at Monmouth Festival of Arts Student Competition

Congratulations to Jenna Kirby of Morganville!

Students from Red Bank Regional and Toms River High School North topped the list of winners at this week's student art competition sponsored by the Monmouth Festival of the Arts.

The Monmouth Festival of the Arts held its 18th annual student art competition and art workshops on Sunday at in Tinton Falls. The student art competition featured the work of 11th grade high school artists from nine high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Sixty students in all enrolled approximately 100 pieces of art. Organizers commended the temple for its support of the arts and art education and as the winner of the Governor's Award in Art Education.

Chris Lesniak took first place in the show for his colored pencil piece entitled “Hungry Like a Wolf.” Chris explained that he was given a class assignment by his teacher Robin Covelska, to interpret a wildlife photograph by utilizing a weaving design and central color focus. He relied on black marker and red and yellow pencil for the wolf’s prominent eyes and mouth. 

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Red Bank Regional scored both second and third place prizes. Both works were also classroom assignments given by RBR Visual and Performing Art Teacher Claudia O’Connor. Scott Chinery of Rumson took second place with his self portrait in oil and Amber Boris of Neptune City received third place for her charcoal piece entitled “Bahamian Still,” which interpreted a still life presented in her classroom.

Honorable mentions were awarded to:resident Leigh Shine of for her pencil entitled, “Anger;” Jose Velasquez of for his charcoal self portrait called “Self Portrait when a Child;” Kate Penkethman of for her oil, “30% of Face;” St. John Vianney students, Jenna Betterton of Old Bridge and Jenna Kirby of both won for their photography entries entitled, “The Face in the Tree” and “Perfection” respectively.           

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First, second and third place received prizes of $100, $75 and $50 respectively and all winners will have their work displayed at the 42nd Annual Monmouth Festival of the Arts. The juried art show will take place at Monmouth Reform Temple on May 5 through May 9.  It features the work of hundreds of artists and attracts thousands of visitors each year. Students will be invited to meet the public at the preview opening night gala on the Saturday evening of May 5 and will receive tickets to attend any of the festival events including art demonstrations and live entertainment during the five-day show.

The Monmouth Festival Student Art competition was judged by accomplished artists:  Bob Mataranglo of Avon, a multi-faceted artist working in digital video, animation, painting and sculpture and a teacher at Ocean County Community College; , a Fulbright Scholar with a doctorate in Design and Technology Education; and Colleen Lineberry of Ocean Township, a fiber artist and painter and professor at

In addition to the art competition, the students were offered two workshops to enhance their portfolio presentations as they prepare to enter other competitions or create submissions to colleges and art schools to further their study of the arts and to explore a new or unfamiliar art subject.

Dave McGrath of , a pen and ink artist, who has displayed at the MRT Festival of the Arts over the years, presented one of the programs to the students at the portfolio workshops. He attended the Newark School of Fine & Industrial Art, Brookdale Community College and the School of Visual Arts.

Joyce Browning of New Brunswick hosted a hands-on event with the students creating a 3-D art work inspired by the famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi. The students’ creative handiwork was also placed on display at the show. Browning is a working artist in the United States, England and Ireland. She owned her own gallery in New Jersey from 1965 to 2001 and has been a high school art teacher in the Metuchen School District since 1986.

The Monmouth Festival of the Arts is hosted by Monmouth Reform Temple and is made possible, in part, by the Monmouth County Arts Council through funding from the , the County Historical Commission, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment of the Arts.

For more information about the upcoming Monmouth Festival of the Arts please call (732) 747-8278 or email festival@monmouthfestivalofthearts.com. You may also visit the event Web site.

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