Hazel Carranza Montoya’s Eclectic Thoughts Tapped for Show

Hazel Carranza Montoya’s gorgeous digital artwork has been chosen for display at the 30th annual Long Island’s Best Young Artists exhibition at the Heckscher Museum of Art later this month. The Huntington High School senior is studying with teacher Kasmira Mohanty.

Ms. Carranza titled her artwork, “Eclectic Thoughts.” She is enrolled in Advanced Digital Design and Illustration with Ms. Mohanty.

The Long Island’s Best show will run from March 29 through May 3. The formal opening of the exhibition will coincide with an award ceremony on Saturday, March 28 from 12-6 p.m.

This year, 63 public and private schools submitted 402 entries of students’ artwork for jurying. Consulting Curator Meredith A. Brown and guest juror Aaron Feltman, a Huntington High School graduate, selected 84 for display.

Participants in the Long Island’s Best initiative choose a work of art in the Heckscher Museum’s collection as the starting point for their own creative process. The teenagers then interpret the respective pieces through their own art. “The quality of the artwork is exceptional and delivers a professional-level show,” exhibit organizers said.

Each of the pieces in the exhibit is accompanied by an artist’s statement, which explains “the thought process and artistic journey from conception to completion,” according to organizers.

“A thumbnail image of the artwork on view in the museum that inspired the student work is also featured.”

Artist’s Statement by Hazel Carranza Montoya

The inspiration for my artwork comes from ‘Bethesda Fountain,’ a painting Martha Edelheit featured in the exhibition ‘Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History.’ I was drawn to the surreal and vibrant nature of Edelheit’s work, particularly the relationship between the human figure and the fountain. This connection strongly resonated with my own artistic interests, as I am often inspired by surreal imagery, bright color palettes and unique, atmospheric themes.

My primary focus was on capturing the distinctive characteristics of the original painting while transforming them into a dreamlike environment of my own. I chose to emphasize the fountain as the central element of my artwork and surrounded it with animals, trees, and mountains to create a sense of imagined landscapes. The surrounding clouds were designed to enhance the feeling of a dream, blurring the line between the real and the surreal.

The artwork was primarily created in Photoshop using a collage-based approach. I combined multiple images through cutting, layering, and blending, while also applying filters to introduce depth and enhance the ethereal quality of the piece. These visual elements work together to immerse the viewer in a surreal atmosphere.

Conceptually, my goal was to evoke the sensation of being inside a dream and to create a visually engaging experience. Completing the artwork in a way that aligned with my original vision was deeply satisfying, and I am proud of the effort and intention behind the final result, as well as its successful communication of a surreal aesthetic.