VHS students exhibited their creative abilities at the annual Creative Arts Festival Wednesday May 20 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The exhibition will remained on view through 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

Parents, families, friends, VHS graduates and the community were all invited to attend the annual event, which featured displays and performances in the front lobby, the new gym, the old gym, and the auditorium.

The event is sponsored by the VHS chapter of the National Art Honor Society and honor society officers Ariane Duhaney, Sarah Madigan, Andie Baird, and Gabe Riccitelli  coordinated the evening’s activities. All VHS art and graphics students participated by exhibiting their artwork, helping with workshops, and by setting up the displays and decorations for the evening.  Art teacher Terry Sherman is the faculty adviser for the event.

Displays set up in the new gym featured creative projects made in numerous departments at VHS: art and graphics; digital photography; woodworking and CAD; English literature; world languages; history, business; mathematics and technology. Math teacher Bob Cashill challenged students with mathematics games in the new gym.

The art exhibition featured pencil, charcoal and ink drawings and still-life watercolor and tempera paintings inspired by artist Marilyn Rose’s watercolor demonstration in the art room this past year. It also featured ceramics and glass mosaics. The colored glass used in the mosaics was donated by S.A. Bendheim, a wholesale glass distributor in Passaic, New Jersey. Anthony Nicosia, a father of two VHS graduates, arranged this generous gift.  Throughout the year, Clinton Glass in Verona has generously donated mirror and colored glass used by students in their mosaics.

Art students demonstrated hand and face decorating in the new gym.  Hand-painted flower pots, with herbs and flowers from the VHS greenhouse, were sold as a fund-raiser for the VHS chapter of the National Art Honor Society.   Julia Capuano, president of the Environmental Club, helped the National Art Honor Society students by overseeing the planting and growing of these plants in the VHS greenhouse.

The evening began at 7:30 p.m. in the front lobby with instrumental and vocal performances by VHS band and choral students, under the direction of music faculty Amanda Hamilton, Judy Szybist, Max Morden and Erik Lynch. In the Old Gym, Fashion Club members, under the guidance of graphics treacher Helene McKelvey-McLaughlin presented a fashion show.  The VHS Spotlight Players, under the guidance of English teacher Fran Young, performed student directed one-act plays. VHS senior Ella Yarmo-Gray playied piano in the new gym throughout the evening.

The invitation and poster for the Creative Arts Festival was designed by art/graphics student Ariane Duhaney. Fifteen new display boards and maroon tablecloths for the Art Department were donated by the Verona Education Association.  The VHS SCA generously donated to the Festival as well.