BY ALEXIS WARD
A colorful, seasonal spread of student artwork once again goes on display this week in downtown Scranton.
The Sunday Times and Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit will present the 13th annual Art for All Seasons Student Artist of the Month exhibit starting Friday, March 6, and running through the month in the Scranton Times Building lobby, 149 Penn Ave. An opening reception will take place Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. as part of Scranton’s First Friday Art Walk.
The newspaper and NEIU each year encourage area students in grades nine through 12 to submit a piece of artwork that catches the spirit of a season. Each art teacher can submit one student piece per season, and a team of judges then selects the 12 best pieces to feature on the monthly calendar page in the newspaper’s Life&Times section on the last Sunday of each month.
The exhibit includes entries from all of this year’s 50 student participants, who hail from 11 area schools.
“The students get a public acknowledgement of their talent,” said Kevin O’Neill, competition coordinator and Times-Tribune staff artist. “(The newspaper) honors student athletes and Scholastic Superstars, so we thought it would be a good idea to feature local art students.”
Art for All Seasons: Student Artist of the Month reception
Art event in Scranton, PA by The Scranton Times-Tribune and Access NEPA on Friday, March 6 2020
Participating in the competition also gives students something to include on their resumes, experience with a juried contest and a portfolio piece for those aspiring for careers as professional artists, he added.
March is Arts in Education Month, and O’Neill pointed out the importance of supporting the arts.
“Creative thinking is the basis to success,” he said. “Art is about solving problems, (the artist) getting in touch with themselves and communicating with others. It brings people together.”
O’Neill thanked the newspaper’s publishers and managers, NEIU, the schools and this year’s sponsor, Powell Law, without whom the event “would not be possible.” He also hopes the competition’s participants; their family, friends and teachers; and the public will come check out the exhibit and support the area’s student artists.
“Art is important, and these (students) are the future of visual communicators,” O’Neill said. “Let them know they’re supported. They might make the world a better place.”
Contact the writer: award@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127
If you go
- What: Art for All Seasons — Student Artist of the Month exhibit
- When: On display starting Friday, March 6, and open during regular business hours; opening reception, March 6, 6 to 8 p.m.
- Where: The Scranton Times Building lobby, 149 Penn Ave.
- Details: Admission is free. For more information, call 570-348-9127 or visit thetimes-tribune.com.
Caitlin Heaney West is the content editor for Access NEPA and oversees the Early Access blog in addition to working as a copy editor and staff writer for The Times-Tribune. An award-winning journalist, she is a summa cum laude graduate of Shippensburg University and also earned a master’s degree from Marywood University. Caitlin joined the Times-Shamrock family in 2009 and lives in Scranton. Contact: cwest@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5107; or @cheaneywest