9 Oak Knoll student photographers win Scholastic art awards

Nine student photographers from Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child have been recognized in the 2016 Regional Scholastic Art Competition, including four who will have their work featured in a Montclair Art Museum exhibition next month.

Photos taken by students at Oak Knoll’s all-girls middle and high school earned Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention awards amid more than 4,000 entries from private and public schools in northern New Jersey. The competition also included drawing, painting, printmaking and ceramic entries.

The Oak Knoll winners include:

· Senior Emily Goncalves ’16, of Elizabeth, is a Gold Key winner for her photo “Sheep,” and also received an Honorable Mention for her photo “Forgive.” She also won a Golden Key award last year for a photo entitled “Wander,” and another Honorable Mention for the photo “Vege(table).”

· Senior Catherine Korth ’16, of Westfield, is a Gold Key winner for her photo “Bath Boy.” She also received three Honorable Mentions for her photos “Fenced In,” “Looking Up” and “Street Art.”

· Senior Jasmine Nazaire ’16, of Irvington, won two Gold Keys for her photos “Kiss Kiss” and “4 A.M.” She is the first Oak Knoll student to win two Gold Key awards in a single competition. Nazaire’s photo “Room” will also be featured in a Drexel University photography exhibit from February 6 through March 4.

· Senior Jaclyn McCall ’16, of Summit, won two Silver Key awards for her photos “Time is Ticking” and “Viewpoint.” Last year, she also received an Honorable Mention for her photo “Happy Birthday.”

· Junior Natalie Commesso ’17, of Summit, received an Honorable Mention for her photo “Autumn Face.”

· Junior Grace Johnson ’17, of Summit, received an Honorable Mention for her photo “Maggie’s Kitchen.”

· Senior Emma Schmall ’16, of Basking Ridge, received an Honorable Mention for her photo “Glow.” She also earned a Silver Key award last year for her photo “Bridget.”

Oak Knoll photography teacher Jennifer Breitenstein expressed pride in the students who entered photographs in what she described as a very competitive contest.

“In particular, to have four Gold Key winners out of a grand total of 200 is a high compliment to our photographers’ skill, vision and effort,” Breitenstein said.

The Gold Key award recipients’ work will be on display at the Montclair Art Museum from February 18 to March 20. The photos are also automatically included in a national competition in May.