Nassau County High School artists receive scholarships from the Manes Peace Prize Foundation
In all, 32 Nassau high school students received scholarships from the Manes Peace Prize Foundation at the Nassau County Museum on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Dakota Capolino aims to create artwork that depicts emotions felt by many others — pieces that are relatable.
The 17-year-old Farmingdale High School senior drew a chalk pastel image titled “Self-Hatred” for her Advanced Placement art class. The image, she said, reflects her idea of self-hatred and how she visualizes it in art.
The image won a grand prize Saturday at the inaugural Fine Arts Award & Exhibition at the Manes Art & Education Center in Roslyn Harbor. A total of 32 Nassau County high school students received $1,000 scholarships each for their artwork, which will be on display through the end of May.
Ranging from oil paint to colored pencil and watercolor to digital photography, the artwork represented some of the best produced this year by students across Nassau County.
Dr. Harvey Manes, an art collector and founder of the Manes Peace Prize Foundation, presented the awards to each winner and announced two grand prize winners, who split an additional $5,000 prize. East Meadow High School senior Robin Canuto, who couldn't attend Saturday, was also a grand prize winner, for a mixed media illustration titled “Eschatology.”
The judges were unable to narrow down one winner for the grand prize, and instead elected to split it to two winners, Manes said.
Reem Hussein, manager of the Manes Art & Education Center, said Manes pitched the idea of an art competition. Manes had previously spearheaded the restoration of the art building that now bears his name after it was damaged during Superstorm Sandy, she said.
“It was just an idea that he wanted to give everybody an opportunity to share their work, to reward them for their effort and their hard work,” Hussein said.
Each high school in Nassau County had the opportunity to select up to three students to enter a piece of artwork into the contest. A committee selected the grand prize winners.
An exhibition will remain on display through May 26, with viewing hours each Saturday and Sunday between noon and 3 p.m.
Manes pointed out the sad emotion depicted in Capolino’s image and how she drew herself in five portraits. The image shows her cowering on the floor, surrounded by four other versions of herself, one screaming, another kicking, one turned away and another swinging a baseball bat.
"It's something we all experience," Capolino said of a time when she hates everything she's doing.
Manes added: “It’s a great idea and it’s great execution.”
Canuto’s vibrant watercolor illustration impressed the judges with the level of detail, Hussein said. She said it was evident the "raw talent" the artist possessed, and noted it was “really advanced” for a high school student.
“We thought compositionally it was really well balanced and there was so much thought put into every little detail,” she said.
Beth Horn, executive director of the Nassau County Museum of Art where the art center is located, said she was “so gratified” viewing each image.
“You see such originality but you also see influences in popular culture in some of their works,” she said. “So they’re kind of leading our way into what we’re going to see in the future.”
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
