Don't forget to visit....
Image: Anna Bennett, Grade 11, Lincoln School. Winner of Juror's Choice Award. Click here for more images of the exhibition.

...Hera Gallery, Hera Educational Foundation is committed to providing our young people with the opportunity and experience of showcasing their artwork in a professional setting. We believe this experience provides encouragement to students, supplements their school's educational programs, and increases their awareness of the arts....

Hera Gallery would like to call your attention to its 18th Annual Children's Exhibition and 16th Annual Young Adults' Exhibition, held February 2-March 9, 2002. We invited all Rhode Island high school, middle school, and elementary school students to participate in this event, which augments local art education programs and allows students to present their artworks in a professional gallery setting. Typically, more than 250 artworks are displayed. This year, we received an overwhelming response, with approximately 400 artworks submitted. In fact, due to this unexpected boone, we have opened up a storage area in order to expand our exhibition space to accommodate every work submitted. Floor to ceiling, arworks in every imaginable media, from clay sculpture to ink drawings to a wall-sized collage provide the eye with endless opportunities for discovery.

This year's exhibition is once again partially sponsored by a generous donation from our fine Rhode Island bank, The Washington Trust Company. Additional funding for this exhibition was provided by the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts.

Announcement Card Competition Winner

We are also proud to announce the winner of our first annual Announcement Card Competition open to high school students only. Teachers from seven high schools selected two promising students to be entered into the competition. The winner of this year's competition is Morgan Bozarth who studies with Beth Casagrande at South County High School. Morgan's watercolor La couleur du Printemps was reproduced on a four color, professional announcement card, sent to the 750 community members, artists, and art institutions. Thanks to all students and teachers who submitted numerous fine artworks-- we hope to see you next year.

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Awards

Thanks to contributions and modest gift certificates donated by several generous local businesses, prizes were awarded to middle school and high school students in numerous categories. This year's Juror is noted art educator John Chamberlin from Rhode Island School of Design. Remember, prizes were only awarded to Middle and High School students, and all submitted artworks are on display. A list of winners is as follows:

Best Portrait
First Prize Dan Clark, South Kingstown High School
Second Prize Matt Bouressa, Chariho High School
Third Prize Erica Tronstad, Lincoln School

Best Sculpture
First Prize Linnie Wray, Archie Cole Junior High
Second Prize Monica Rosenberg, Archie Cole Junior High

Best Photograph
First Prize John Connell, La Salle Academy
Second Prize Kerrie Johnson, South Kingstown High School

Best Painting First Prize Makala Arcand, South Kingstown High School

Best Drawing
First Prize Kelly McElroy, La Salle Academy
Second Prize David Rezendes, Chariho High School

Best Mixed Media Work
First Prize Casey Huber, South Kingstown High School
Second Prize Cara Blaine, La Salle Academy

Best Collage
First Prize Vinny Sobieski, La Salle Academy
Second Prize Patsy Wohl, South Kingstown High School

Juror's Choice Anna Bennett, Lincoln School
Winner, Postcard Competition Morgan Bozarth, South Kingstown High School

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Our sponsors

This year, Washington Trust Company has generously volunteered to partially support this event with a very significant donation. We thank them for sponsoring this event for the second year in a row! In addition, the Rhode Island State Council for the Arts has stepped in to provide additional funding. Finally, numerous local businesses donated prizes to the winning students:

Bess Eaton
Blockbuster
Calvitto’s Pizza & Bakery
Catered to Your Whims
Framer’s Gallery at Mariner Square
Juggles
Kingstown Camera
Looney Tunes II
Narragansett Disk
Newport Creamery
Picture This
Saywell’s Contemporary American Crafts
Self Essentials and Looks
Sound Waves CD and Tapes
Stop & Shop
Sweenor’s Chocolate
Wakefield Music
W.E. Stedman Co.
Zero Wampum

Get Involved

We challenge ourselves and our community to fully fund this show and the new Announcement Card Competition. Because of its long history, spanning a generation of school children, this exhibition may seem ubiquitous and even inevitable to the community. However, the gallery in fact relies on community support to continue this tradition. We make our own sizable contribution of resources, staff, and gallery space, but that is not enough. There are many ways to get involved:

  • We ask participants' parents, teachers, and other community members to consider joining the gallery. Find out more about membership info here.
  • If you are a local business owner and would like to contribute a prize, please contact Gallery Director Katherine Veneman, at 789-1488.
  • If you would like to volunteer to de-install the exhibition, or to help hang next years' exhibition, please contact us. We appreciate you hard work in this exhibition, and any efforts you make to help us to continue it.

This exhibition is a fine opportunity for young artists to show their work to the greater community and to supplement their arts education. If you have any questions you may contact the gallery.

 

Thanks...

Thanks also to the many people who made this exhibition a reality:

Exhibition Coordinator Jennifer Murray
Intern Kirk Snow

Juror John C. Chamberlin

Thanks to our student volunteers:
Jill French
Elizabeth Hartley
Lynne Murray
Lisa Thomas
John Wadsworth
Liz Wagely
Matt Wagely

Thanks also to Hera Board Member volunteers:
Bethany Bonner
Melissa Crawford
Fran Powers
Robyn Whittington