iCreate is a regional competition consisting of selected works in the Bruce Museum’s Vicki Netter Fitzgerald Gallery. iCreate inspires young minds to embrace their unique styles and engage with other artists in their age group. The amount of confidence that emerges in selected young artists and the attention all participants receive is precious.

The iCreate exhibition is a platform to celebrate their passion and creativity. The volume of the artwork received each year is breathtaking, with over 800 submissions to view. Stunning technique and thought-provoking content make selecting the final exhibit quite challenging. The final selection encompasses some of the best talents in the area and will undoubtedly awe and inspire all audiences. For these reasons, selecting pieces for the final iCreate exhibition involves considering a range of factors and multiple perspectives.

iCreate is a juried installation; 58 final works were selected from the submissions. Each finalist has also submitted an artist statement to provide context for their work. These statements add depth and personal insight, highlighting the profound themes and stories behind the art.

The iCreate competition continues to be a platform for young artists to express their creativity and share their unique perspectives. The Bruce Museum invites everyone to visit the exhibition, experience these compelling works and support the next generation of artists.

Support for iCreate 2024 is generously provided by the CT Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Humanities, The Grossman Family Foundation, Nisha Kumar and Michael Behringer, Susan and Bill Mahoney, Barbara Netter, and Debbie Simon.

Participating student's art is showcased in this iCreate 2024 presentation video

Music is provided by Yuka Takahashi, a senior Greenwich High School student attending NYU in the fall. Follow him on Spotify at YUTA.

iCreate 2024 Award Winners - Selected by Jury

First Place Award

Ty Nguyen
Conard High School, Grade 12
Train to Uconn
Acrylic on canvas

I always found something so beautiful in loneliness, enjoying the quiet moments when I could truly reflect on the past. Therefore, "Nostalgia" is the theme that I chose for my artwork to express my emotions and memories. For me, art is the non-verbal language, and through nostalgia, I can convey the depth of my experiences and the significance they hold in shaping who I am today. I grew up with the quote, "Sometimes memories are all we have holding us together." This quote resonates with me deeply, and it is also the biggest inspiration for all of my artwork.

Second Place Award

Chaeyoon Kim 
Ridgewood High School, Grade 9
Lotus Tea Party
Oil on canvas

Taking the time out of your busy day to relax with a cup of tea can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Through this painting, I hope for others to find ways to take a break and step away from stressful thoughts, even for a moment. This painting captures elements from my weekends, mornings, or afternoons. The teapot and each teacup have their own uniqueness that adds to the contrast that catches the eye. 

Third Place Award

River Bartosik-Murray
High School of Art and Design, Grade 12
Aging and Stitching
Oil on denim with thread, on wood

Aging and Stitching is a “coming of age” piece illustrating my development. The wood is from the art table I used as a child. The denim is from an old pair of jeans. The image is a portrait of myself matured, although I am still a child at heart. Over time, the oil paint on the jeans will fade, and this will inspire a new addition to the piece. However, the thread I used will not discolor because it is plastic. The thread sews together fragments of my face, showing the fragility of the composed facade I show to the world. The nails that hold the jeans to the board are raw and harsh, representing the strength we use to try to cover up our more vulnerable selves. 

Youth @ Bruce Award

Chosen by iCreate 2024 interns

Ellen Chen
Rye Country Day High School, Grade 12
Dance With Her
Acrylic on canvas

As I watched my aunt swipe through my prom pictures, I could feel her scowl deepen with every photo of my prom date and I. Then, she landed on a group picture. Pointing to my male classmate who stood beside me she asked, “Your prom date?” It sounded more like a statement than a question. “Yes” I answered, and felt a pang of sadness in my chest.  

She lingered on that picture a moment longer and swiped again, revealing a frozen moment between my date and I on the dance floor. I closed my eyes and was back at the prom, the music deafening in my ears as she grabbed my hands and twirled me around on the dance floor. I pulled her closer, and she grinned, her deep hazel eyes glittering in the last rays of the setting sun as we screamed the lyrics to our favorite songs. I had nearly forgotten this stinging pain of discrimination the LGBTQ+ community faces because my high school had created an incredibly accepting and safe environment for us to grow and learn. I will always be highly grateful to the community my school developed and the students and teachers who worked together to make it a reality.

People's Choice Award

Angelina Nie
Byram Hills High School, Grade 10
Awaiting
Graphite pencil on canvas paper

This piece is about a little boy begging for food and money on the corner of the street. Many people are well off, with happy families and steady incomes. However, in many places in the world, families live in poverty and children are left to wander the streets alone. It is the responsibility of parents to care and provide for their children. However, due to war, famine, divorce, abuse, and many other factors, too many children are forced to grow up too soon. They have no choice but to mature as adults, exposed to the burdens and cruelty of the world, without experiencing the childhood they deserve. The eyes of the little boy depict hope in the eyes of someone in need, wishing upon the countless people passing by to spare a drop of sympathy. His eyes plead for a future and a better world where he is loved and cared for. This little boy represents the struggles of many children in the world who are exposed to the harshness of life much too soon. He is a voice for those forsaken children that although the world is well off, hunger still exists. 

Honorable Mention

Albert Chen
The Hotchkiss School, Grade 10
Still-Life Self-Portrait 
Acrylic on canvas

My name is Albert Chen. My name is also 陈空 (chén kōng). For many years, while I loved my Chinese culture—the food, the community, and my family—I felt ashamed of it when I saw it through the eyes of others. This still life is a reclamation of my culture and who I am. The painting richly depicts a combination of Chinese and American objects: black Chinese vinegar, an American cookie jar, persimmons, a Chinese teapot, olive oil, Chinese pears, and other culturally contrasting objects. The painted objects exist in harmony through a colorful, vibrant color palette and delicate yet confident brushstrokes. Each object brings its own balance and character to the piece, representing how my Chinese-American identity can exist in peaceful richness, and is further enriched by the contrast and chaos. The painting is me on a table, my Still-Life Self-Portrait. Through this painting, I found beauty in myself and my origins.

Honorable Mention

Angela Chiang
Scarsdale High School, Grade 12
When Asphalt Turns Water
Paper collage

When Asphalt Turns Water is a collage art piece depicting a distant future where fish have replaced cars on city streets. The empty cityscape, devoid of human activity, evokes a sense of abandonment and despair, prompting viewers to confront the potential consequences of our current trajectory. However, amidst the dystopian undertones, the presence of fish navigating the submerged cityscape introduces an unexpected element of tranquility, offering a paradoxical sense of calm as life and nature find a renewed, albeit unconventional, foothold in the urban environment. The piece is a surreal exploration of the human relationship with the environment and our impact on the planet, inviting viewers to imagine a different future in which humans live in harmony with nature.

Honorable Mention

Sofia Fryxell
New Rochelle High School, Grade 12
Sisterhood
Ballpoint pen and gouache on paper

This piece is a ballpoint pen drawing of my older sister and me when we were younger. In recent years, I’ve developed the bad habit of comparing myself to her— an attitude that only eroded our bond. I made this piece as a reminder that the sisterhood we share is what matters most.

Honorable Mention

Aya Rabin
Greenwich Academy, Grade 11
Peace
Acrylic on canvas

Peace is an abstract acrylic painting on canvas designed to convey the deep emotions that I have felt since I was evacuated from Israel on October 7th. These pieces reflect my journey, marked by love for my land and people, and a profound sense of loss and hope. The depth of the painting is intended to convey layers of emotions piling up on top of each other, symbolizing the complexity of my experiences. While everyone may not relate to such a specific experience, Peace can also be interpreted as facing one's everyday emotions.

עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל חַי