(BLUE BELL, PA) – For the 36th year, top works of art from Bucks and Montgomery County high school students will be featured during the Annual “Touch the Future” art show, in collaboration with Montgomery County Community College, beginning on Sunday, March 5th.
“Touch the Future” is a professionally-juried art exhibit named in tribute to Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher in space who perished aboard the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 and was known to have said, “I touch the future. I teach.”
Touch the Future is sponsored by the Mideastern Region of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the Council for the Advancement of Public Schools.
“We are thrilled to partner again with Montgomery County Community College to offer the parents, teachers, and the public a gallery of the amazing artwork created in our public schools,” said Alan Malachowski, President of PSEA’s Mideastern Region. “Seeing the students’ creativity shine – and in the setting of a professional gallery – is truly inspiring.”
Ninety-four public school educators from 26 public high schools submitted 449 works of art for consideration to be included in the show. The winners were selected by Emily L. Dugan, Admissions Counselor at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art.
“The best part of my job as an admissions counselor is getting to see all the incredible work that you, the students, submit to us when applying to college,” said Emily L. Dugan in an excerpt from her juror’s statement. “I can say with certainty that I was blown away. Looking at each piece, thinking about how you all have pushed yourself creatively, conceptually, and through materials has left me overwhelmed; not just at the power of art and creativity, but of the empathic and vulnerable ways in which you all did so.”
The art show, which is open to the public, will remain on display at the Blue Bell Art Gallery through March 30th. The show would not be possible without “Touch the Future” co-chairs and local educators Mike Werner and Joanne Carrick from North Penn High School, and Terry O’Neill from Neshaminy High School.
“Montgomery County Community College is delighted to host this annual exhibition that highlights the amazing artwork created by the region’s talented high school students,” said Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez, MCCC President. “Hosting an exhibit that honors Christa McAuliffe is befitting since MCCC’s Pottstown Campus is home to Pennsylvania’s first and only Challenger Learning Center, which continues the legacy of the crew of Challenger flight STS-51L (including Christa McAuliffe) by providing interactive STEM-based space missions.”
This year, 22 students were awarded prizes, which were sponsored by being sponsored by the PSEA Mideastern Region CAPS Program, the PSEA Montco-Retired, and the Selma Burke Foundation.
One award is chosen by PSEA-MER teachers and will be awarded at the Art Show’s closing reception – the Rosemary Hamilton Memorial Teachers Choice Award. Artworks chosen for the PSEA-Mideastern Region purchase prize receive a place of honor in the art gallery in PSEA-MER’s office in Montgomeryville.
A listing of the winning artists is below.
| AWARD/CATEGORY | STUDENT NAME | SCHOOL | TITLE | TEACHER |
| 1st Place Best of Show | Miah Yamada | Council Rock High School North | “Escapism”/ Painting | Jim Biglan |
| 2nd Place Best of Show | Ava Morgan | Central Bucks High School West | “Is it True?” / Color Drawing | Allison Levin |
| 3rd Place Best of Show | Kathryn Murray | Souderton Area High School | “Harmony” / 2-D Design and Illustration | Ginny Perry |
| CATEGORY AWARDS | ||||
| Computer Animation | Soha Chowdhury | North Penn High School | “Flashenstein Returns” | Michael Werner |
| Drawing- Black & White | Bane Child | Pennsbury High School | “Master work of Pieter Claesz” | Curtis May |
| Color Drawing | Iman Azeez | Council Rock High School South | “One More Pill” | Michael Catalano |
| Painting-Acrylic, Oil, Tempera | Maiah McGowen | Pennridge High School | “Untitled” | Sarah Moos |
| 2-D Mixed Media | Kendra Hudson | Council Rock High School South | “Internal Control Diptyque” | Michael Catalano |
| 2-D Design | Philip Racek | Souderton Area High School | “Landscape” | Sabrina Pistoria |
| Printmaking | Madison O’Sullivan | Harry S. Truman High School | “Persephone” | Karen Byceland |
| Digital Imaging/Computer Graphics | Sophia Choi | North Penn High School | “Candid” | Colleen Cooney-Irwin |
| Traditional Silver Print | Via Alessandro | William Tennent High School | “Romanticism” | Kristen King |
| Digital Photography | Bryan Rico | Abington Senior High School | “Shadow Self” | Chelsea Puglese |
| Fiber Crafts | Fotima Akramova | Council Rock High School South | “Interwoven Culture” | Michael Catalano |
| Watercolor | Erin Wirant | Spring-Ford High School | “Painter’s Soul in Retired Tools” | Brent Kissel |
| Sue Castle Memorial Award (Jewelry/Metals) | Mars Pratte | Spring-Ford High School | “Pages of Them” | Karen Gallagher |
| 3-D Mixed Media Sculpture (Sponsored by Selma Burke) | Kseniia Aleksandrova | Upper Merion Area High School | “Face in Water” | Michael Moore |
| 3-D Single Medium Sculpture (Sponsored by Selma Burke) | Lizzie Shvelidze | Council Rock High School South | “Fingers” | Elizabeth Thomas |
| 3-D Functional (Sponsored by Selma Burke) | Camille Padilla | Pennsbury High School | “The Hare” | Kelsey Adair |
| Selma Burke Sculpture Award | Lily Punzo | Abington Senior High School | “Untitled” / 3-D Mixed Media Sculpture | Katie Shields |
| PSEA-MER Purchase Award | Emma Pretcher | Pennsbury High School | “Dining Area” / Digital Photography | Danyelle Lala |
| PSEA-MER Purchase Award | Ryan Phan | Methacton High School | “Water Pollution” /Painting | Caitlin Fernchak |
| PSEA-MER Purchase Award | Trinity Hobbs | Souderton Area High School | “Not My World” /2-D Design | Ginny Perry |
| Rosemary Hamilton Memorial Teachers Choice Award | TBD |
# # #
