Huntington Wins Honors at
LI Media Arts Show
Huntington High School art students were dazzling in the Long Island Media Arts show at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, winning 14 Best in Show Awards.
The incredible performance is impressive considering the event drew more than 600 entries from 35 Nassau and Suffolk high schools. The Huntington students are enrolled in courses taught by Pam Piffard (photography), Heather Swan (video and animation) and Kasmira Mohanty (computer graphics).
"I find it quite interesting that each year, when I look at the work being done by the other schools, I see techniques that our Huntington students had showcased in the Media Arts show the year before," said Joan R. Fretz, district director of fine and performing arts. "I have heard other district's art teachers marveling at our work and asking our staff, 'How did you do that?'"
In the photography category, Huntington High School students collected nine Best in Show awards, including two by talented Cody Jacobs. Alyssa Cortes, Kristin Hartmann, Israel Mahr, E.J. Connell, Eva Prior, Sandra Duarte and Brittany Oliva also earned top honors.
"I really enjoyed the Long Island Media Arts Show," Ms. Cortes said. "It felt really good to hear what people had to say about my work. I was amazed at how much talent was in one room!"
Huntington's graphic artists shined, too, as Jason Chisolm, Marie Coneys and Roxana Moreira won Best in Show honors.
Huntington's aspiring filmmakers won a pair of awards as David Lillienstein and Paul Mazzotta walked away with Best in Show honors.
Judges praised the work of Huntington's artists, making a note of the advanced skills displayed and the impressive professionalism and expression of the work. Video judges gushed about Messrs. Lillienstein and Mazzotta, with one stating, "I'm blown away" and other exclaiming "This video is flawless and truly amazing!"
Mr. Lillienstein's video was the last one shown at the festival. Afterwards, a judge told him, "This is the best video we have seen all day." Judges encouraged the two teenagers to enter their work in professional film competitions.
"It was also interesting to note that only three high schools had computer graphic work that was done on Illustrator, which is the industry standard," Ms. Fretz said. "Most schools had work that used Photoshop only. Huntington's program teaches both Illustrator and Photoshop techniques."
With Huntington taking 14-of-90 Best in Show awards, the school turned in an amazing performance in the event. "All of our media teachers strive to keep our programs current with professional standards, continually adding the latest techniques to their curriculum," Ms. Fretz said. "As a result, Huntington's work serves as a model for other districts."
"The quality of the evaluators at the show this year was amazing," Ms. Piffard said. "The feedback for the students through comments and criticisms were so thoughtful and well-educated. It is a fantastic opportunity for the art students to have their work validated. I can honestly say it warmed my heart to see my students smiling from ear-to-ear, just so proud of themselves and all their hard work."