Three New Hyde Park Memorial students, Sudeeptha Shanmugam, Grace Garvey and Isabella Chu, have each recently received awards for their achievements in art.
Senior Sudeeptha Shanmugam was recognized at the Long Island’s Best: Young Artists at the Heckscher Museum. Of the 86 works which were displayed, Sudeeptha won the highest award: Best in Show. Her artwork “Pondering” is a realistic charcoal self-portrait of herself getting lost in thought. She claims to have taken inspiration from American painter Helen Torr’s portrait of her husband.
“When I submitted my artwork for Long Island’s best I honestly was not expecting much. When I found out I got first place I was extremely surprised,” Shanmugam said. “My artwork, a charcoal portrait of myself, was about the feelings of an uninspired artist thinking about what to create while experiencing a burnout.”
Isabella Chu, also a senior, was recognized as one of Newsday’s Scholar Artist winners. This award is a title which is given to a select few of students located in Long Island. Isabella is one of ten artists to receive this award during the 2023-2024 school year.
“Growing up I was told that anything regarding the arts should be considered a hobby and wouldn’t contribute to a ‘real’ career. But with the help of our lovely art educators, I was able to discover that I had a talent with art,” Chu said. “My junior [year] was pivotal for my growth as an artist; taking AP Drawing, although intimidating, really helped me immerse myself in the process of making art and what art meant to me. For anyone who wishes to explore their creative side, I would highly recommend taking it.”
Junior Grace Garvey was one of the winners in the Congressional Art Competition hosted by congressman Anthony D’Esposito. She received first place for her work, “Have you heard the news?”
“My artwork was originally an art assignment in my drawing and painting class. My teacher Ms. Livoti told my class to make any expression on our faces to make it original. I decided to have a ‘shocked’ expression,” Garvey said. “The lighting is very important; it’s called Chiaroscuro–it is a technique that is used to show contrast in light and dark to make something dramatic. My piece ‘Have you heard the news?’ was made with charcoal; it was my first time using this medium and I really enjoyed using it.”
Art teacher Ms. Livoti commented on the hard work these students showcase through their art.
“As art students, Sudeeptha, Grace and Isabella all have one thing in common–they are all incredibly hard-working individuals who actively seek out feedback on their work; they push themselves past the basic requirements of a project and they aren’t afraid to take risks in their work,” Ms. Livoti said. “Each of them thoroughly enjoys the process of creating their art and investigating their materials. I would enjoy seeing them make their own creative decisions during class and it is always amazing to see an idea come to life through their artwork.”
