Toms River Students' Entries Chosen For Smithsonian Exhibit

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A pair of Toms River elementary school students will be represented in a special art exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, the district announced.

Anthony Mendoza and Charlotte Hart, students at Silver Bay Elementary, will have their contributions included in a display of student works that will be part of the exhibition Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The exhibition is set for March 8 through Sept. 8, 2024.

Johsnon, who was born in South Carolina in 1901 and died Central Islip, New York, in 1970, produced hundreds of works "in a virtuosic, eclectic career that spanned several decades as well as several continents."

He painted his Fighters for Freedom series in the mid-1940s "as a tribute to African American activists, scientists, teachers, and performers as well as international heads of state working to bring peace to the world," according to the Smithsonian American Art Museum website's information on the exhibition. "He celebrated their accomplishments even as he acknowledged the realities of racism, violence, and oppression they faced and overcame. Some of his Fighters — Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Marian Anderson, and Mahatma Gandhi — are familiar historical figures; others are less well-known individuals whose determination and sacrifice have been eclipsed over time."

The students' contributions are part of a mural and flipbook that will be displayed in the exhibition, honoring modern-day freedom fighters.

"Anthony’s contribution, recognizing his grandfather, will be represented in a flipbook that will be displayed next to a mural of students’ contributions," according to the Toms River Regional Schools.

"Charlotte identified Jaylen Arnold as a modern-day freedom fighter in her submission and will have her work on display in both the book and the mural," the district said. Arnold has created a foundation to fight bullying and support students who have Tourette syndrome.

"We are proud to have the creativity and voices of these two students represented in the Smithsonian art exhibition," the district said.

Fighters for Freedom is a collection of more than 1,000 works by Johnson that suggest, "the pursuit of freedom is an ongoing, interconnected struggle, with moments of both triumph and tragedy. We are reminded that individual achievement and commitment to social justice are at the heart of the American story."