Parrish Art Museum's 2022 Student Exhibition Kicks Off

WATER MILL, NY — Young artists from across the East End will be given their chance to shine as the Parrish Art Museum presents its 2022 Student Exhibition, beginning on March 12 and running through April 24.

The creativity of 1,000 student artists will be showcased.

"A 65-year tradition celebrating youthful imagination and creativity, this important aspect of the Museum’s program was enhanced by this year’s Artist-in-Residence Eric Dever, who led workshops with more than 250 students," the Museum said in a release.

A 54-foot-long collaborative mural created during the residency, a video demonstration of the process by Dever, plus original works by the artist will also be on view.

The exhibition opens with a private preview day for the artists, their families, and their teachers on March 12. Guests at the receptions will enjoy refreshments from South Fork Bakery, plus live performances by the Bridgehampton School Marimba Band, and musician/storyteller/naturalist Johnny Cuomo. The "Young Artists Reception", for Pre-K through Grade 8 students, is scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m.; a "High School Artists Reception" takes place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

There is no admission fee for the receptions; registration is encouraged.

“We are delighted to highlight the flourishing arts community in our region’s schools by supporting the work of art educators and student artists,” said Parrish Education Director Cara Conklin-Wingfield. “We hope the exhibition brings pride and joy to children and families, and stimulates a lifelong love of art.”

The collaborative mural created during Dever’s residency, titled "A Visual Conversation", will be on view in the Museum’s spine gallery. In his workshops, Dever created and employed a unique process that transpired in 60-second intervals, the Museum said.

"Each student began an artwork, using one paint color and one painting or colored drawing tool. After just one minute, they passed it to the next participant, who had 60 seconds to respond to what was on the page. The paint-and-share process continued until the work circled back to the original artist," the Museum said.

Participants in the Student Exhibition explored many traditional and non-traditional approaches to art creation.

Working with their art teachers and through art clubs in schools from Bellport to East Hampton and the North Fork, the students demonstrated "imagination, enthusiasm, and technical skill" in diverse media such as painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, and new media, among others, exhibit organizers said.

"Taken together, the exhibition gives an overview of the high level of creativity and accomplishment achieved in the schools," organizers said.

Elementary and middle schools enter group projects; high school artists are represented by individual works and collaborative projects. In April, Painter Neill Slaughter, professor emeritus of visual art at Long Island University, will select and present awards to recognize select high school seniors for their exceptional talent and skill, in categories ranging from painting to mixed media. “Ones to Watch” honors are given to underclassmen.

In addition to the nearly 300 group and individual works created by students under the direction of their art teachers in over 40 public, private, and home schools, the exhibition features group works by over 250 students from Southampton and Hampton Bays Life Skills, and Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Southampton, and Tuckahoe Schools and the Southampton Youth Bureau who participated in the residency.