Student Art Exhibit Draws Crowd to Overlook

Josue Rojas couldn't wait to show his father the artwork that adorned a wall of the Medical Arts Center. Rojas' work, along with about 49 other works from Summit students. Created by first-graders to high school seniors, the collected artwork filled the hallways with vibrant colors and photographic details.

"Art gives kids creativity and allows them to share who they are," said Maria Lupo an art therapist. Lupo joined project coordinator and Overlook pediatrician John Vigorita and artist Mike Fenton to help pull off the event that runs through March.

"This will become an annual thing," said Fenton who pointed out the public school administrators, faculty, students and parents who mingled and looked at various art works across a wide spectrum of disciplines from photography to collage, to drawing and painting.

"It's a great cross-section of work, and teachers selected what they thought was best," said Fenton.

For Rojas' dad, Fernando Vega, seeing his son's art work and its accompanying certificate was a moment of pride. "It feels fantastic," he said in Spanish, looking at his son. 

Rojas is a student in Lisa MacMolye's 4th grade class at . "I feel pretty good about [having my drawing displayed]," he said with a wide smile. He's been practicing his art since way back in kindergarten at Brayton. "I feel pretty happy," he said glancing up at the picture of a pine cone he created. It was among the first pieces on the wall of the long second-floor hallway.

The Arts in Healing Coalition is a program headed by Lupo and open to anyone who wants to learn more about the healing and therapeutic capabilities of art. The group holds free lectures and events throughout the year.

The next event, scheduled on Feb 21, will feature a demonstration of "touch painting and free-flowing watercolor technique". For more information check out their website, call 973-660-3149, or email healingarts@atlantichealth.org.

The Summit schools art exhibit runs through March 31. The exhibit is located on the first and second floors of the Medical Arts Center 1, which is accesible via the east garage at 33 Overlook Rd. For validated parking get a green ticket and stop by Liss Pharmacy between 9:30a.m. and 5:30p.m. Monday through Friday, near the art exhibit.