Berkshires Jazz Student Art Contest Winners Honored at Pittsfield City Hall
Maddalina Penna's winning artwork is featured on this year's poster for the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival.
"It's pretty insane that I've seen my art everywhere," the Pittsfield High junior said on Monday after being recognized as this year's first-place winner in the annual Berkshires Jazz Student Art Contest sponsored by the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival. "It's cool to see it around."
Jazz Chair Edward Bride noted that Penna's art "has been all over the city for a couple of weeks including on this poster for the Pittsfield City Jazz Festival."
More than 70 students from PHS submitted jazz-themed artwork and Monday morning the awards were presented at City Hall by Mayor Linda Tyer and Bride in honor of Jazz Awareness Month.
"The idea is to celebrate art and engage more people in appreciating it," said Bride. "And so we thought we'd call attention to the work that the students do other than making music. [Board member] Art Niedeck, who can't be here with us today, designed this art appreciation, student art contest."
The entrants were judged by professional artists Sally Tiska Rice, Dierdre McKenna and Marion Grant. In addition to first, second and third winners (who also won cash prizes), there were five honorable mentions.
Penna, who placed third last year, won for her bright and colorful pen and marker rendition of three musicians on violin, cello and trombone
The mayor queried Rice, who as in attendance on what the judges had looked for in the works, but not for Penna's.
"I don't need you to explain this to me," the mayor said. "I can see why, it's so intricate. ...
"The colors are amazing. The musicians are very — I love it that they don't have faces — and all this other artwork that you embedded into your piece, it's beautiful."
Penna said she's been seriously working on her art since sixth grade and plans to study art in college. She's sold a few paintings and won some competitions, "but this is the biggest."
Second place went to Katarena Castagna for her oil and pen image of a hard-working trombone players and third went to Abby Malumphy for her painting of instruments that gave the impression of a cityscape and roads.
Honorable mentions went to Ethan Breitmaier, Josephina Pixley, Paige Williams, Charlotte Goodnow and Piper Patton.
Bride thanked art teachers Colleen Quinn, Lisa Ostellino and Michael Greenberg for helping coordinate the event as well as his fellow board members.
"This has been really great. We look forward to this every year," said the mayor. "We'll see the artists next year."
Students participating in the jazz art contest are listed below; their work can currently be seen in the hallway outside the city clerk's office in City Hall.
1.Huseyin Colak
2. Ethan Breitmaier
3.Jack Wildgoose
4. Britain Sadowy
5.Theresa Bowen
6. Kiera Cogswell
7. Piper Patton
8. Mitchel Manning
9. Allison Schnopp
10. Brooklyn Duck
11. Adams Sidibe
13. Gianna Dejax
12. Dominique Billups
14. Paxton Ehling
15. Nyla Cuyier
16. Mason Bromback
17. Zachary Bruno
18. Marley Parras
19. Aiden Carlino
20. Ceilia Cantarella
21. Kevin Esquivel
22. Mia Acedo
23. Brandon Balcazar
24. Leonardo Kirian
25. Abjah Keamson
26. Alyssa McNeil
27. Maggie Vittum
28. Patrick Hamilton
29. Owen BNooth
30. Caz Stein
31. Madison Stetz
32. Gustavo Oliviera
33. Caitlyn McDonald
34. Kaydance Shaw
35. Bethany Iffetayo
36. Natalia Mendez
37. Amanda Roy
38. Natalie Arnhold
39. Brittany Lummus
40. Selvin Tagual-Pirir
41. Charlotte Goodnow
42. Paige Williams
43. Josephina Pixley
44. Carter Mungin
45. Ella Walger
46. Spopzhmai Mangal
47. Lyndsay Vosburgh
48. Emma Vittum
49. Emma Kinnas
51. Maddalina Penna
50. Lenox Silvestro-Dias Tagual-Pirir
52. Kat Castagna
53. Daniel Rodriguez
54. Rochelle Delesus
55. None
56. Felix Rogers
57. Prosper Ezan
58. Keshya Hawkins
59. Hannah Howes
60. Abby Malumphy
61. Danayah Garrity
62. Mia Adair
63. Jernando A. Mendez
64. Gionnah Levardi
65. Lonan Jenings
66. Sean Depson
67. Freddy Conyers
68. Kyana Summers
69. Logan Middlebrook
70. Sevaeh Bryant
71. Carson Wober
72. Dylan Munchan
73. Olivia Doyle
74. Lewis Rogers
75. Kenny Davis
76. Steven Wood
Tags: art contest, jazz,
