10th Annual iCreate Exhibition of High School Student Art

Above: Construction Day, by Asilbek Akmalov, a senior at the High School of Art and Design in New York.

The Bruce Museum is displaying the art of high school students throughout New York and Connecticut in the iCreate 2019 exhibition. This annual juried competition is in its 10th consecutive year and features 53 works of fine art selected from more than 650 submissions, collected from 36 high schools in the region.

This exhibition centers on an array of works infused with the creative spirit and impactful voices of budding young artists. iCreate serves as an outlet for these emerging artists, amplifying the scope of their pieces’ influence and providing the community a glimpse into local artistic potential. The works are of diverse mediums and explore different themes ranging from critiques of traditional social constructs, to playful portraits, to statements regarding animal extinction.

The exhibition is organized by nine high school seniors who compose the Bruce Museum’s Youth@Bruce Committee: Isabelle Hole, Darien High School; Madalynn Stewart, Greenwich High School; Reed Putnam, Horace Greeley High School; Ann Pakhayev, New Canaan High School; Zoe Swiss and Dani Cronin, Byram Hills High School; Manya Kula and Sara Frankenthaler, Scarsdale High School; Alexandra Kirk, Rye High School.

“This regional exhibition inspires enigmatic young minds to embrace their unique styles and to engage with the ideas of other artists in their age group,” said Pakhayev. “As a two-time participant in iCreate, I think that the amount of confidence that emerges in young artists who are selected is extremely valuable.”

“The volume of artwork we received was breathtaking. Stunning technique and thought-provoking content made selection for the final exhibit quite difficult,” noted Kirk. “The end result encompasses some of the best talent in the area and will certainly awe and inspire all audiences.”

Following the juried evaluation process, an opening celebration on June 7 celebrated seven honorees who were awarded prizes from $100 to $500. A People’s Choice Award will be determined with public input and will be announced on July 14. In order to have a voice in the voting process, make sure to visit iCreate!

The iCreate exhibition is underwritten by the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund with support from Susan and Bill Mahoney; Berkley One, A Berkley Company; and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.

The Bruce Museum is located at 1 Museum Drive in Greenwich, Connecticut. For more information, call the Bruce Museum at 203-869-0376 or visit brucemuseum.org.