Area High School Students’ Works Featured in ArtPop Exhibit at SteelStacks

Exhibition runs Jan. 16-March 13 as part of ArtPop Scholastic Billboard Competition

The ArtPop Billboard Competition moves indoors for the winter by showcasing the top 10 student submissions in an exhibit at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way, from Jan. 16-March 13.

This year’s 2nd-annual ArtPop Billboard Competition, which features local artists’ works on Adams Outdoor Advertising billboards, was highlighted by the first ArtPop Scholastic Competition, open to high school students from throughout the Lehigh Valley. The winner of the scholastic competition was Parkland High School senior Jeremy Gipson, who will have his work “REACH” featured on an Adams billboard for the entire 2016 year. Gipson’s work, along with nine other area high school students, will also be showcased in an exhibition in the ArtsQuest Center’s Alvin H. Butz Gallery, located on the second floor of the performing arts center.

The prints on display in the exhibition have been graciously donated by Banana Factory resident artist Ray Smicker of Silver Images studio; all works were selected by the ArtsQuest Visual Arts staff, with the exception of Gipson’s, which was chosen by the ArtPop Jurying Panel.

Students featured in the exhibit are:

• Jeremy Gipson (Parkland High School), Orefield, PA
  REACH (Charcoal)
• Aodhan Gyory (Lehigh Valley Charter Arts High School), Kempton, PA
  Technology Desert (Digital)
• Caitlin Vielstich (Phillipsburg High School), Phillipsburg, NJ
  The Lovebirds (Digital)
• Caterina Capobianco (Nazareth Area High School), Nazareth, PA
  The Escape (Acrylic Paint and Cut Paper)
• Julia Sams (Parkland High School), Allentown, PA
  Macrocosmic Mind (Digital Pen)
• Katie Lutterschmidt (Whitehall-Coplay High School) Whitehall, PA
  In the Distance (Colored Pencil)
• Kelly Micca (Parkland High School), Allentown, PA
  The Wind in Her Hair (Oil on Canvas)
• Lillian Wunderly (Nazareth Area High School), Nazareth, PA
  An Escape (Oil Paints, Oil Pastels)
• Peter Naktin (Southern Lehigh High School), Center Valley, PA
  The Ritual (Digital Image)
• Victoria Evert (Bethlehem Catholic High School), Bethlehem, PA
  Past Steel, Present Stacks (Acrylic)

Started by Wendy Hickey in Charlotte, N.C., ArtPop is designed to highlight local artists and the important roles they play in the community by showcasing their work through available billboard media space. The ArtPop Lehigh Valley program, now in its second year, is a partnership between Adams Outdoor Advertising of the Lehigh Valley, the national ArtPop, the nonprofit ArtsQuest and the Lehigh Valley’s arts community. Members of the ArtPop jurying panel were:

• Santa Bannon, Santa Bannon/Fine Art Independent Curator, Fine Art Advisory & Consulting Firm
• Kristen Cook, Graphic Designer, Adams Outdoor Advertising
• Randall Forte, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Arts Council
• Diane LaBelle, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Charter Arts High School

For more information on ArtPop Lehigh Valley, please visit www.bananafactory.org/artpop/. For details on the national ArtPop program, check out ArtPopStreetGallery.com.